Dunnellon and Crystal River are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Dunnellon Tigers will host the Crystal River Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Dunnellon needed a bit of extra time to put away The Villages Charter. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 win over the Buffalo.
Makayla Duncan
| 02/25/25 @ The Villages Charter | 0 |
| 02/21/25 vs Umatilla | 1 |
| 02/18/25 @ Belleview | 2 |
Makayla Duncan spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.
Meanwhile, Crystal River put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They came out on top against Citrus by a score of 7-2.
Violet Flynn made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Flynn was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI. That double marked the first that she hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Athena Childs, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Emma Crosby, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-5.
Crystal River's victory was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Dunnellon, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Dunnellon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Crystal River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 14.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Dunnellon came up short against Crystal River when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 3-0. Will Dunnellon have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
