Softball Game Preview: Milano Eagles vs. Burton Panthers

The Milano Eagles will head out to square off against the Burton Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Milano will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Saturday, then bounced right back against Iola on Monday. Milano never let Iola get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. With that win, the Eagles brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.

Karley Hairston

Hits (Career)

03/10/25 vs Iola	3
03/07/25 vs Somerville	2
02/27/25 vs Buffalo	2
02/27/25 @ Grand Saline	2
04/12/24 @ Granger	2

Karley Hairston was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. What's more, she gave up only zero walks, the fewest she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in hits.

In other batting news, Malina Gordon was a standout: she scored a run while going 2-for-4. Jesalyn Miller also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Milano hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most three strikeouts in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Burton had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 16-8 victory.

Burton's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-3. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Milano, their record is now 7-4.

Milano was able to grind out a solid victory over Burton in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, winning 6-1. Does Milano have another victory up their sleeve, or will Burton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.