Softball Game Preview: Laurel Spartans vs. Shenango Wildcats

Laurel has gone 9-1 against Shenango recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Spartans will look to defend their home field against the Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

Laurel is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Neshannock just ended the team's four-game winning streak last Friday. They took a 6-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lancers. The contest marked the Spartans' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Ivy Pancher

Stolen Base

04/18/25 vs Neshannock	1
04/17/25 @ Shenango	1
04/16/25 vs New Brighton	1

Laurel saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ivy Pancher, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. Pancher is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Lexi Krol was another, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.

Neshannock hit Shenango with a eight-run fourth inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Wildcats came up short against the Lancers, falling 11-1. The Wildcats have struggled against the Lancers recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost meeting.

Shenango's defeat dropped their record down to 8-8. As for Laurel, their loss dropped their record down to 7-4.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Laurel has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Shenango struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Laurel took their victory against Shenango in their previous meeting last Thursday by a conclusive 9-1 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.