The Merritt Island Mustangs will head out to square off against the Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Merritt Island is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Merritt Island will bounce into Wednesday's game after beating Rockledge, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Mustangs' pitcher stepped up to hand the Raiders a 2-0 shutout on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Mustangs have posted since April 23, 2024.
Not much got past Rindi Amos, who gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks to keep Rockledge off the board.
Elena Rollen
| 04/08/25 @ Rockledge | 3 |
| 04/05/25 vs Coral Reef | 2 |
| 02/26/25 @ Astronaut | 2 |
| 03/28/25 vs Vanguard | 1 |
| 03/28/25 vs Fort Myers | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Elena Rollen, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Alyssa Abbott was another key player, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Central Catholic waltzed into their match on Monday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They put the hurt on the Scorpions with a sharp 21-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Hustlers, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Madelynn Prayto and Lilly Rollinger made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Prayto tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Rollinger pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Prayto has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one walk in ten consecutive appearances. At bat, Prayto scored two runs while going 1-for-3, while Rollinger went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that Rollinger launched this season.
In other batting news, Rylie Lovett was a standout: she scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Dakota Cooper, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI.
Melbourne Central Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .568. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Satellite only posted an OBP of .267.
Melbourne Central Catholic's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games. As for Merritt Island, their record now sits at 9-10.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Merritt Island hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .323. However, it's not like Melbourne Central Catholic struggles in that department as they've averaged .362. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Merritt Island skirted past Melbourne Central Catholic 6-5 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mustangs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
