Softball Preview: West Park Panthers vs. Ponderosa Bruins
After five games on the road, West Park is heading back home. They will take on the Ponderosa Bruins at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
West Park scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 25-2 margin over Nevada Union. With that win, West Park brought their scoring average up to 8.1 runs per game.
Jessica Cochran was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Cochran has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive pitching appearances. Cochran was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jolene White, who went 3-for-5 with a home run, four runs, and four RBI. Mady Schultze was another key contributor, going 2-for-2 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Ponderosa gave their fans yet another huge victory on Wednesday. They never let Oakmont onto the board and left with a 9-0 win. Give Ponderosa's pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Like West Park, Ponderosa also got a great game from a two-way player: Chase Mueller. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over seven innings pitched. Mueller was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gianna Marietti, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Haley Warney, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
West Park's victory bumped their record up to 6-3. As for Ponderosa, their win bumped their record up to 10-2.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. West Park hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Ponderosa struggles in that department as they've averaged .376. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Park couldn't quite finish off Ponderosa in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 and fell 4-2. Thankfully for West Park, Ana Niles (who struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk)) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
