Softball Game Preview: Leo Lions vs. Bellmont Braves

Leo is 7-2 against Bellmont since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Wednesday. The Lions will look to defend their home field against the Braves at 5:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Leo has six straight wins, Bellmont has five straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

On Monday, Leo narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past East Noble 3-1.

Leah Shappell

Batters Struck Out

05/05/25 @ East Noble	13
05/01/25 @ Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger	5
04/30/25 vs New Haven	7
04/28/25 vs Norwell	6
04/26/25 vs South Bend Adams	6
+ 2 more games

Leah Shappell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Carley Funk, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.

Meanwhile, Bellmont fell victim to South Adams and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Starfires. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since April 26, 2019, but that streak is no more.

Bellmont also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Bella Ashley gave up just two earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks.

Leo pushed their record up to 16-3 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Bellmont, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-8.

Leo skirted past Bellmont 2-0 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Lions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Braves turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.