Softball Game Preview: Hilliard Darby Panthers vs. Westerville South Wildcats

The Hilliard Darby Panthers will square off against the Westerville South Wildcats at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Hilliard Darby's favor as the team sits on five straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Westerville South has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.

While Hilliard Darby didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over Thomas Worthington on Monday. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the CARDINALS recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.

Molly Goudy

Hits (Career)

04/14/25 @ Thomas Worthington	3
04/10/25 vs Olentangy	2
04/08/25 @ Reynoldsburg	2
03/26/25 vs Wooster	2
03/25/25 @ St. Francis DeSales	2

Molly Goudy was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Katie Byerly, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

Goudy wasn't the only one making solid contact: Hilliard Darby kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Saturday just wasn't the day for Westerville South's offense. They lost 11-0 to Hilliard Davidson on Saturday. Having soared to a lofty 14 runs in the game before, Westerville South's shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Westerville South's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Hilliard Darby, their win bumped their record up to 10-1.

Hilliard Darby couldn't quite get it done against Westerville South in their previous meeting back in April of 2022 as they fell 4-1. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.