- April 24, 2024
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Danielle Spaulding was on fire.
Through six innings on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 3, the Sandcrabs' red-hot pitcher couldn't miss a throw, giving up only a handful of hits and zero runs to Matanzas before she took to the circle in the top of the seventh frame.
With the game still scoreless, the Pirates' Nikolena Perrine popped a ball high into the school. It would have been a sure out, but confusion between the outfield and infield saw the ball hit the dirt. Perrine safely made it to first base. The next Pirates' hitter drilled a single through a gap between third and second. The winning play for the Pirates came on a bunt. An overthrow by Seabreeze's short stop allowed the hitter to get to first and allowed Perrine to get to home.
The Pirates knocked off Seabreeze, which beat Matanzas 6-3 earlier in the season, 1-0 at Matanzas High School.
"The defense was great. The hitting — not so much," Sandcrabs coach Meghan Bainbridge. "Tonight was a pitcher's duel."
Another Buccaneer will be playing football at the next level.
Mainland quarterback Jake Novello signed with John Carroll University, Novello announced via his Twitter profile. Located in University Heights, Ohio, the Blue Streaks are a Division III program that is a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. Novello, who started the first four games of the 2017 season for the Buccaneers, largely split quarterbacking duties with fellow senior Richard Kamara.
Although the Buccaneers dropped to No. 21 in the rankings following their 7-6 loss to crosstown rival Seabreeze on Thursday, March 29, the Buccaneers were able to bounce back with a narrow win against Matanzas, defeating the Pirates 14-13 on Tuesday, April 3.
All but two of Mainland's softball players played the sport prior to tryouts before the start of the 2018 season. The Buccaneers have been on the losing-end of the vast majority of their games so far this year, but coach Alec DeWeese's squad is starting to show improvement. Mainland dominated Father Lopez 16-1 on Tuesday, April 3, at Mainland High School. The Buccaneers' lone win prior to Tuesday was against Father Lopez — an 18-6 victory on Feb. 27.
Despite the tough season, Seabreeze was able to win its second game of the season. The Sandcrabs steamrolled Deltona 13-6 on March 29, at Deltona High School, snapping a five-game losing streak.
