Softball Game Preview: Lightridge Bolts vs. Paul VI Panthers

The Lightridge Bolts will head out on the road to square off against the Paul VI Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Lightridge has three straight wins, Paul VI has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Lightridge's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Centreville 23-0.

Maya Thaivalappil was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Thomas, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.

Lightridge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .651. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.

Meanwhile, Paul VI fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Osbourn Park on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Yellowjackets by a score of 15-13. Even though they lost, the Panthers' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 7 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Ashley Robinson and Natalie Monroe stepped up to the plate in a big way. Robinson scored two runs while going 3-for-5, while Monroe scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. What's more, Robinson posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. Maria Dozier was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her six plate appearances.

Paul VI's loss dropped their record down to 2-5. As for Lightridge, their victory bumped their record up to 3-0.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Lightridge has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Paul VI struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.