vs
| 04/04/24 - Away | 7-1 W |
| 03/07/24 - Home | 11-9 W |
| 04/04/23 - Away | 6-4 W |
Matanzas has gone a perfect 3-0 against Beachside recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Pirates will take on the Barracudas at 6:00 p.m. Matanzas is coming into the contest hot, having won their last nine games.
Matanzas proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by six) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 win over Atlantic Coast.
Matanzas got a great performance from LEAH STEVENS as she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 15 over six innings pitched. STEVENS has been consistent for a while: 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 four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was RUBY FOGEL, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Matanzas hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Beachside entered their tilt with Orange Park on Wednesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They put the hurt on the Raiders with a sharp 14-4 win. The Barracudas might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by seven runs or more this season.
Vita Lagattolla made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits. What's more, she posted five strikeouts, the most she's had since back in February. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Tatum Pocol was incredible, going 4-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Madden Lutze, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5.
Matanzas pushed their record up to 17-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Beachside, their record is now 14-6.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Matanzas hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Beachside struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Matanzas' way against Beachside in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Matanzas made off with a 7-1 victory. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Barracudas turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
