Softball Game Preview: Coconino Panthers vs. Mingus Marauders

The Coconino Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Mingus Marauders at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Coconino has ten straight wins, Mingus has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Mingus' hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Thursday: Coconino hadn't allowed a single run the last four times they've hit the field. The Panthers put the hurt on Lee Williams with a sharp 10-0 victory on Tuesday. Considering the Panthers have won 12 matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Kaitlyn Tso made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 17 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one triple and one RBI.

In other batting news, Emma Kennelly was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-1. Another player making a difference was Danica Kern, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.

Coconino hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lee Williams struck out 12 times.

Meanwhile, Mingus came up short against Flagstaff on Monday, falling 13-2.

Mingus saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elora Bakhaus, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and one run. That triple was Bakhaus' first of the season.

Coconino's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Mingus, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-6.

Coconino took their win against Mingus in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Marauders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.