Softball Game Preview: Pickerington North Panthers vs. Brunswick Blue Devils

The Pickerington North Panthers will square off against the Brunswick Blue Devils at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Thursday, Pickerington North beat Westerville Central 7-4.

The team relied heavily on Makenna Hartley, who went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Sami Whitcraft, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Brunswick waltzed into their game on Wednesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 21-1 victory. The Blue Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by six runs or more this season.

Kiley Williams made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two hits any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.

In other batting news, Gabbie Diamond and Addison Compton did most of the damage at the plate: Diamond went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one double, while Compton went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. Madison Miller was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI.

Brunswick always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .733. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in four consecutive matchups.

Pickerington North's win ended a five-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-6. As for Brunswick, their record now sits at 4-1.