Softball Game Preview: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Knights vs. Lakewood Park Christian Panthers

The Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Knights are taking a road trip to challenge the Lakewood Park Christian Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Fort Wayne Bishop Luers will be strutting in after a win while Lakewood Park Christian will be coming in after a loss.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Southern Wells on Monday. The Knights' pitcher stepped up to hand the Raiders a 12-0 shutout. The victory continues a trend for the Knights in their matchups with the Raiders: they've now won three in a row.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers got a massive performance out of Ali Hoffman, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases Hoffman has posted since back in April of 2024. Addison Haney was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in three consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Lakewood Park Christian is still winless after their contest against Hamilton on Tuesday, but the team can take solace in the fact it was the closest they've come to winning. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost an 11-9 heartbreaker at the hands of the Marines.

Reagan Nott and Lily Morris did some serious damage despite the final result: Nott went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and three runs, while Morris went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Leena Salyer also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers' win bumped their record up to 4-7. As for Lakewood Park Christian, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-7.

Fort Wayne Bishop Luers took their victory against Lakewood Park Christian in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 13-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.