Softball Game Preview: Riverside Panthers vs. Freedom Area Bulldogs

Riverside is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Monday. They will be playing in front of their home fans against the Freedom Area Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

After dropping their season opener at home, Freedom Area is headed out to face a Panthers squad ready to give their home crowd a win. Riverside lost 13-1 to Union Area last Monday. The Panthers have struggled against the Scotties recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Riverside saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Joci Cummings, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, Freedom Area was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their eighth straight loss dating back to last season. They came up short against Rochester, falling 25-15. One positive for the Bulldogs, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.

Janna Kline was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Charlie Rywolt, who scored two runs and stole a base.

Even though they lost, Freedom Area always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .550. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Riverside took their win against Freedom Area in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-3. Will Riverside repeat their success, or does Freedom Area has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.