Softball Recap: North Star Takes a Loss

North Star had lost three straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 4-5 to make it four. They lost 11-3 to the Shade Panthers. If the Cougars were looking for revenge after losing 19-0 to the Panthers when the teams met back in April of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

Lexi Swanson was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Laiken Grove, who went 1-for-4 with one home run.

As for Shade, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record up to 7-2. Considering they have won four contests by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

On Shade's side, Payton Maddy made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave Maddy a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three runs and one double.

In other batting news, Tori Bowers was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Jaedyn Krupper, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.

While North Star had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.