vs
| 03/12/25 - Home | 15-6 W |
| 02/20/24 - Away | 15-0 W |
| 04/06/23 - Home | 9-0 W |
| 02/23/23 - Away | 13-3 W |
| 02/24/22 - Away | 21-2 W |
| + 3 more games |
Crystal River has gone a perfect 8-0 against Central recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Pirates are taking a road trip to square off against the Bears at 7:00 p.m. Crystal River is coming into the contest hot, having won their last three games.
While Crystal River's victory against South Sumter wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Pirates never let the Raiders get on the board and left with a 1-0 win on Tuesday.
The result came thanks to Violet Flynn's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up 17 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Crystal River's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Matti Patrick, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Central made easy work of Seven Rivers Christian on Tuesday and carried off a 22-8 win.
Jaida Childs made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Childs was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Yianna Casiano was excellent, going 3-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jacey Garlock, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .548. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Seven Rivers Christian only posted a batting average of .368.
Central now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Crystal River, their record now sits at 3-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Crystal River has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 13.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Crystal River got the 'W' when the teams last played back in March of 2025 against Central by a conclusive 15-6 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pirates since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
