- March 29, 2025
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From left, Flagler Palm Coast catcher Mackenzie West, center fielder Alexis Hanna and first baseman Sadie Schell prepare for the game against Matanzas at the FPC softball field on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas head softball coach Sabrina Manhart (center) and FPC players meet with the umpires before their rivalry game at the FPC softball field on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' starting pitcher Leah Stevens (center) is introduced before the game against the Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs at the FPC softball field on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas head softball coach Sabrina Manhart (left) and Flagler Palm Coast players (left to right) MacKenzie West, Alexis Hanna and Sadie Schell get pre-game instruction from the umpires before the game at the FPC softball field on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast pitcher Ashleigh Pigeon (third from left) smiles before she and her teammates are introduced prior to the game against Matanzas at the FPC softball field on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast outfielder Chloe Foster (center) takes the field before the game against Matanzas on Tuesday, March 25 at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Matanzas softball team lines up to salute the flag as the national anthem plays before the rivalry game against the Bulldogs on Tuesday, March 25 at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast softball players (left to right) Parker Roberts, Ashleigh Pigeon, Mackenzie West and Sadie Schell salute the flag before the rivalry game against Matanzas on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast pitcher Ashleigh Pigeon winds up against rival Matanzas on Tuesday, March 25, at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast pitcher Ashleigh Pigeon focuses before pitching against rival Matanzas on Tuesday, March 25, at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas catcher Mary Grace Seward takes the field in the bottom of the first inning in a game against Flagler Palm Coast on Tuesday, March 25. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' batter Juliet Fogel (9) gets a good look at the ball as Flagler Palm Coast catcher Mackenzie West grabs the high pitch on Tuesday, March 25, at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Alondra Vincenty hits a double against Flagler Palm Coast on Tuesday, March 25, at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas Pirate Leah Stevens pitched three innings against Flagler Palm Coast on Tuesday, March 25, at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Alondra Vincenty (24) jumps on the bag after hitting a double as Flagler Palm Coast infielders Skylar Ludovici (10) and Kyndal Cercy (20) return to their positions. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Addison Rio bats as Mackenzie West catches for the Bulldogs on Tuesday, March 25 at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast first baseman Sadie Schell concentrates on the batter during a game against Matanzas at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast's Mackenzie West hits a single to score Skylar Ludovici home in a game against Matanzas on Tuesday, March 25, at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast shortstop Skylar Ludovici (10) scores a run against Matanzas on Tuesday, March 25, at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas seniors Paige Duckworth and Cristina Heartz try to go to all of the games to show their support for the Pirates' softball team. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Addison Rio bunts as Mackenzie West catches for the Bulldogs on Tuesday, March 25 at the FPC softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas' Ruby Fogel (10) gets kudos from her coach, Sabrina Manhart, during a timeout after she hit a single then advanced to second on an error. McKenzie Manhart waits on third after advancing on the play in the game against Flagler Palm Coast. Both players went on to score. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast shortstop Skylar Ludovici (10) tags out Juliet Fogel (9) at second base in a game against the Matanzas Pirates on Tuesday, March 25, at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas first basman Addison Rio (20) keeps Flagler Palm Coast runner Parker Roberts close to the bag on Tuesday, March 25 at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
Matanzas senior Ashley Sampselle pitched three innings in relief of Leah Stevens on Tuesday, March 25 at Flagler Palm Coast's softball field. Photo by Michele Meyers
Flagler Palm Coast shortstop Skylar Ludovici (10) tags out Matanzas' Juliet Fogel at second base on Tuesday, March 25 at FPC. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Flagler Palm Coast and Matanzas softball teams arrived at their annual rivalry game Tuesday, March 25, on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Pirates have a 9-1 record after their first loss of season to Palatka before spring break. And the Bulldogs are 1-8 with their only win a 15-0 shutout against New Smyrna Beach.
Matanzas held a 2-1 lead over FPC when the lights went out midway through the sixth inning. An electrical crew was called to fix the issue, but after a substantial amount of time, the umpires called the game, leaving the details about its completion pending.
The game may be continued where it left off in the bottom of the sixth with FPC's Skylar Ludovici, Mackenzie West and Lily Delbuono scheduled to bat.
Shortstop Ludovici tripled in the fourth inning and scored after West singled to right field. That was the lone run for FPC. Ludovici said she was hoping to get another good hit, if the game is restarted.
"It's really exciting that it's such a close game," Ludovici said. "It felt really good running in, especially playing our rival."
Matanzas' McKenzie Manhart hit a single in the third inning and advanced to second on an error on a ball hit by Ruby Fogel. Ashley Sampselle hit a line-drive double to score Manhart and Fogel.
Leah Stevens pitched three innings for the Pirates before being relieved by Sampselle in the fourth inning. Stevens faced 11 batters, threw 46 pitches with 31 strikes and struck out nine — recording all the outs in her three-inning stint with strikeouts. Sampselle faced nine batters, threw 25 pitches with 23 strikes. She struck out two batters.. FPC's Ashleigh Pigeon threw 99 pitches with 59 strikes and had 11 strikeouts in six innings.
Matanzas head coach Sabrina Manhart attributes the strength of the Pirates' team culture for their successful season. She said she enjoys teaching her players the little things that they may not have learned prior to playing high school softball.
"We put a lot of effort in being good teammates, not taking plays off and working really hard for each other," she said. "Our girls really buy into that. That helps them trust each other on the field and be willing to work hard for each other. The work that they put in pays them back on game day which is why they are seeing the success they are having so far."
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