Softball Preview: Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers vs. Clifton Central Comets
The Gardner-South Wilmington Panthers will be playing at home against the Clifton Central Comets at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Gardner-South Wilmington finally turned things around against Westmont on Monday. Gardner-South Wilmington never let Westmont onto the board and left with a 19-0 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Gardner-South Wilmington considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Jo Male made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Male has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Male was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
In other batting news, Olivia Siano was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. Makaila McDaniel was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, everything went Clifton Central's way against St. Anne on Monday as Clifton Central made off with a 19-4 victory. That 15 run margin sets a new team best for Clifton Central this season.
Like Gardner-South Wilmington, Clifton Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Emma Koch. She pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Koch was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-5.
In other batting news, Rayven Perkins and Addison Faulkner did most of the damage at the plate: Perkins went 3-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and a triple, while Faulkner went 3-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Audra Prairie, who scored two runs while going 3-for-5.
Gardner-South Wilmington's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-9. As for Clifton Central, their victory bumped their record up to 10-12.
Gardner-South Wilmington might still be hurting after the 20-10 loss they got from Clifton Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Will Gardner-South Wilmington have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
