Palmetto Ridge is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Gulf Coast is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Bears will host the Sharks at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Palmetto Ridge proved they can win big last Friday (they won by eight) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Cypress Lake 4-3.
Tessa Delashmet
| 04/03/25 vs Cypress Lake | 14 |
| 03/28/25 vs Old Forge | 5 |
| 03/21/25 @ Naples | 9 |
| 03/20/25 @ Gulf Coast | 2 |
| 03/06/25 @ Lely | 10 |
| + 6 more games |
Tessa Delashmet spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on three hits and racked up 14 Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Teagan Delashmet, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Skyler Howell was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Gulf Coast gave up the first runs on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. Everything went their way against Naples as they made off with an 8-2 victory. The result was nothing new for the Sharks, who have now won five games by six runs or more so far this season.
Taylor Stalling made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Hannah Rearden was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Melissa Hyatt, who went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Gulf Coast hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Naples struck out ten times.
Palmetto Ridge has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Gulf Coast, their victory bumped their record up to 12-1.
Palmetto Ridge couldn't quite get it done against Gulf Coast in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 8-3. Will the Bears have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
