Mustangs
| 03/03/25 vs Cocoa Beach | 12 |
| 02/26/25 @ Astronaut | 7 |
| 02/21/25 vs Space Coast | 10 |
| 02/20/25 vs Rockledge | 7 |
The Merritt Island Mustangs will head out to take on the Sebastian River Sharks at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Merritt Island is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9 runs per game this season.
Merritt Island took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. Everything went their way against Cocoa Beach as Merritt Island made off with a 12-2 win. The victory continues a trend for the Mustangs in their matchups with the Minutemen: they've now won seven in a row.
Olivia Smith spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on two hits and racked up nine Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gianna Elliott, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Keilen Cecere also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Elliott wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Merritt Island kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Sebastian River was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost an 11-9 heartbreaker at the hands of Bayside. While the Sharks didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Bears 4-0 in the first period.
Rily Biggers made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Layla McKinney was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.
The win got Merritt Island back to even at 2-2. As for Sebastian River, the defeat was their first at home , dropping their record down to 3-3.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Merritt Island has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Sebastian River struggles in that department as they've averaged .474. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Merritt Island came out on top in a nail-biter against Sebastian River when the teams last played back in February of 2018, sneaking past 6-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for Merritt Island since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
