Softball Game Preview: Burrell Bucs vs. Knoch Knights

The Burrell Bucs will head out to take on the Knoch Knights at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Burrell sitting on three straight victories and Knoch on 15.

Burrell came out on top against Deer Lakes on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run seventh inning. The Bucs had just enough and edged out the Lancers 6-5. While the Bucs didn't have the best season last year (they finished 2-5), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Meanwhile, Knoch's hitters rose to the challenge against a Golden Lions pitching crew that boasted an average of only 2.64 runs allowed on Wednesday. The Knights put the hurt on Greensburg Salem with a sharp 11-1 win. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 contests by seven runs or more this season.

Kaila Purcell spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, McKenna Brailey and Lindsey Wise did most of the damage at the plate: Brailey got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs, two RBI, and one double, while Wise went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three runs gave Brailey a new career-high. Lizzie Danik was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.

Knoch always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.

Knoch's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Burrell, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.