Softball Game Preview: Canton Eagles vs. Mabank Panthers

The Canton Eagles will venture away from home to square off against the Mabank Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Canton will be strutting in after a victory while Mabank will be coming in after a defeat.

Canton's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Athens with a sharp 15-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won 12 games by seven runs or more so far this season.

Rylee Busby

Batters Struck Out

04/11/25 vs Athens	6
04/08/25 @ Kemp	8
04/07/25 vs Van	10
03/25/25 vs Lindale	7
03/21/25 vs Mabank	7
+ 2 more games

Rylee Busby was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024.

In other batting news, Chloe Howe was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Kara Pride was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.

Meanwhile, Friday just wasn't the day for Mabank's offense. They lost 10-0 to Brownsboro on Friday. The Panthers have struggled against the Bears recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Canton has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.1 runs over those games. As for Mabank, their loss dropped their record down to 7-14.

Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Canton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .423. However, it's not like Mabank struggles in that department as they've averaged .361. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Canton took their win against Mabank in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.