Softball Game Preview: Midlothian Trojans vs. Lightridge Bolts

The Midlothian Trojans will head out on the road to square off against the Lightridge Bolts at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are still undefeated after eight games, but that won't be the case come Friday.

On Thursday, Midlothian was able to grind out a solid win over James River Midlothian, taking the game 6-2.

Charlotte Daniels spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks.

On the hitting side, Gianna Caranante was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one triple. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Ava Vozar also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.

Meanwhile, Lightridge made easy work of John Champe on Thursday and carried off a 12-1 victory. The Bolts might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by eight runs or more this season.

Lightridge also got a great performance from Karissa Bowes as she struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and not a single walk). Bowes has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Larissa Azurin was a standout: she scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Emmi Harris, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.

Midlothian's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Lightridge, their record is now 8-0.

Midlothian skirted past Lightridge 3-2 when the teams last played back in June of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Trojans since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.