Softball Game Preview: Lakeside Christian Lions vs. Foundation Christian Academy Panthers

The Lakeside Christian Lions are taking a road trip to square off against the Foundation Christian Academy Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.

It was a proper cat-fight when Lakeside Christian faced off against Bradenton Christian on Tuesday. The Lions came up short against the Panthers, falling 11-1. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Lions couldn't push the score so high this time.

Meanwhile, Foundation Christian Academy made easy work of Sarasota Christian on Tuesday and carried off a 10-1 win. Considering the Panthers have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Raeghan Ramsey and Makayla Howard made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Ramsey didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Howard struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. At bat, Ramsey went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI, while Howard went 3-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.

In other batting news, Foundation Christian Academy let Raegan Goble and Cadence Cape run wild. Goble got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one run and one RBI, while Cape went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was McKay Barron, who went 1-for-5 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.

Foundation Christian Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Foundation Christian Academy is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Lakeside Christian, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 11-6.

Lakeside Christian might still be hurting after the 6-0 defeat they got from Foundation Christian Academy in their previous matchup back in February. Can the Lions avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.