Softball Game Preview: West Central Area Knights vs. Brandon/Evansville Chargers

West Central Area and Brandon/Evansville are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Knights are taking a road trip to take on the Chargers at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. West Central Area will be strutting in after a victory while Brandon/Evansville will be coming in after a defeat.

While West Central Area's win against Montevideo wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Knights won by a run and slipped past the Thunderhawks 7-6. The victory continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Thunderhawks: they've now won five in a row.

Lily Mahoney spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on three hits and racked up eight Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brinley Ulrich, who went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, one triple, and one run. Addison Staples was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Brandon/Evansville was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 7-6 heartbreaker at the hands of Upsala.

West Central Area now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Brandon/Evansville, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Everything went West Central Area's way against Brandon/Evansville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as West Central Area made off with an 11-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.