The Matanzas Pirates will square off against the Middleburg Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Matanzas comes in on 14 and Middleburg on four.
Matanzas is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They never let Ponte Vedra get on the board and left with a 1-0 win.
Ponte Vedra's batters probably weren't too happy with LEAH STEVENS, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 17 Ks (she gave up a single walk). STEVENS has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Matanzas' victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was AVA HENIGE, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Matanzas always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .520. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .520 or higher in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Middleburg won against Fleming Island last Wednesday with five runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Thursday. The Broncos walked away with a 5-1 win over Milton.
Milton's batters probably weren't too happy with Cloey Ballinger, who pitched a no hitter and racked up seven Ks (she gave up two walks).
On the hitting side, Mallory Ficklin was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was KK Hagan, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Matanzas' victory was their ninth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Middleburg, their victory bumped their record up to 19-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Matanzas has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Middleburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Matanzas couldn't quite get it done against Middleburg when the teams last played back in May of 2021 as they fell 8-5. Will the Pirates 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.
