Softball Game Preview: Stillwater Ponies vs. Centennial Cougars

Stillwater is a perfect 5-0 against Centennial since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Ponies are taking a road trip to square off against the Cougars at 6:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Stillwater sitting on five straight wins and Centennial on four.

Stillwater is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Minnesota's top teams: Park, who was ranked 13th at the time (Stillwater was ranked 14th). The Ponies walked away with a 7-3 victory over the Wolfpack on Wednesday.

Ella Weisser

Batters Struck Out

04/16/25 @ Park	7
04/14/25 @ Cretin-Derham Hall	5
04/11/25 vs Mounds View	15
04/09/25 vs East Ridge	8

Ella Weisser spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Mackenzie Zrust, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Amber Buchkoski, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.

For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last five times Centennial and Elk River have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Tuesday. The Cougars put the hurt on the Elks with a sharp 10-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won three matchups by nine runs or more so far this season.

Stillwater pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Centennial, their record now sits at 5-1.

Stillwater was able to grind out a solid victory over Centennial when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 5-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ponies since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.