The Space Coast Vipers will square off against the Melbourne Central Catholic Hustlers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Space Coast 3.7, Melbourne Central Catholic 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Things were looking good for Space Coast after they put the first runs on the board on Monday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell 8-5 to Rockledge. The Vipers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Space Coast saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Paige Reynolds, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Melbourne Central Catholic came tearing into Tuesday's game with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.1 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Mustangs. The game was the first time the Hustlers have beaten the Mustangs on their field since February 8, 2016.
Madelynn Prayto spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 12 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Peyton West, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March of 2024.
Melbourne Central Catholic pushed their record up to 15-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Space Coast, their loss dropped their record down to 12-8.
Space Coast's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Vipers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Melbourne Central Catholic, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Space Coast continue to outrun the ball? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
