The Matanzas Pirates will venture away from home to take on the Taylor Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Matanzas will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Matanzas made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Canterbury, but they still couldn't quite topple them. Matanzas blew past Canterbury 12-2 on Friday. Considering the Pirates have won four matches by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
ASHLEY SAMPSELLE made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. SAMPSELLE was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
In other batting news, GRACIE GUISBERT was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. Those hits were her first of the season. ADDISON RIO was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Matanzas kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in March of 2024.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Taylor and Atlantic, and Taylor kept the tradition alive. Taylor put the hurt on Atlantic with a sharp 16-1 win on Monday. The Wildcats haven't had any issues with the Sharks recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Like Matanzas, Taylor also got a great game from a two-way player: Savannah Pearson. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Pearson has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Taylor Lane was a standout: she scored three runs and stole Two bases. while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Amya Ramos, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
Matanzas pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. As for Taylor, their record now sits at 5-3.
Taylor's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Matanzas has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Taylor, though, as they've been averaging only 4.1 strikeouts. Will Matanzas keep running through batters, or will Taylor buck the trend?
Matanzas beat Taylor 4-0 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Matanzas since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
