Softball Game Preview: McBee Panthers vs. North Central Knights

The McBee Panthers will venture away from home to challenge the North Central Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

On Wednesday, McBee came up short against Chesterfield and fell 7-3. The Panthers haven't had much luck with the Golden Rams recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but North Central ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Camden, sneaking past 7-5. The Knights haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.

Mackenzie Melton was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over eight innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.6 strikeouts per game. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-5 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Josie Jackson, who scored two runs while going 4-for-4. Serenity Williams was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

North Central hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in three consecutive matches.

North Central's record now sits at 6-1. As for McBee, their loss dropped their record down to 1-1.

McBee beat North Central 7-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for McBee since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.