Softball Game Preview: Forestville Central Hornets vs. Pine Valley Central Panthers

Forestville Central is 8-2 against Pine Valley Central since April of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Monday. The Hornets are taking a road trip to face off against the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Forestville Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.

Forestville Central took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Silver Creek as they made off with a 9-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.

Megan Gruber

Batters Struck Out

05/08/25 vs Silver Creek	8
05/07/25 @ Silver Creek	10
05/06/25 vs Randolph	5
05/05/25 @ Gowanda	7
04/30/25 @ Brocton	13
+ 5 more games

Megan Gruber was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emily Lilllie, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Olivia Valentine also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Pine Valley Central duked it out with Randolph on Saturday. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Cardinals 3-2. The win was some much needed relief for the Panthers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Forestville Central's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Pine Valley Central, their record is now 5-6.

Forestville Central took their victory against Pine Valley Central in their previous matchup back in April by a conclusive 14-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.