Softball Game Preview: Stryker Panthers vs. Pettisville Blackbirds

The Stryker Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Pettisville Blackbirds at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Stryker is looking for their season's first victory.

Stryker fell victim to Hilltop and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 26-0 to the Cadets.

Pettisville never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Gorham Fayette on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 22-1 margin over the Eagles. The result was nothing new for the Blackbirds, who have now won seven matches by nine runs or more so far this season.

Macy Hoylman made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Hoylman was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.

In other batting news, Naomi Richer was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. Olivia Miller was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.

Pettisville lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

Pettisville is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Stryker, their loss dropped their record down to 0-9.

Stryker suffered a grim 24-3 defeat to Pettisville in their previous matchup last Tuesday. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.