The Williston Red Devils will head out on the road to square off against the Crystal River Pirates at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Williston turned things around against Gainesville on Friday. They walked away with a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes.
Emily Asencion spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on six hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Luna Asencion, who went 2-for-4 with four stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March of 2025. Layla Crago also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Crystal River was able to grind out a solid win over Trinity Catholic on Wednesday, taking the game 8-5. With that victory, the Pirates brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Kaylyn Clark was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Castle, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Crystal River always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Crystal River's record is now 9-1. As for Williston, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Williston has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Crystal River struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 12 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Williston might still be hurting after the 8-1 loss they got from Crystal River in their previous matchup back in April of 2025. Can the Red Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
