Softball Game Preview: Independence Blue Devils vs. Brooklyn Hurricanes

For the second straight game, Independence will face off against Brooklyn. The Blue Devils will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Hurricanes at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Independence has five straight wins, Brooklyn has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Independence's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over Brooklyn. The Blue Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by ten runs or more this season.

Lila Manfredonia

Batters Struck Out

05/07/25 @ Brooklyn	15
04/30/25 vs Cuyahoga Heights	12
04/29/25 @ Lutheran West	7
04/28/25 @ New London	8
04/25/25 @ South Range	15
+ 4 more games

Lila Manfredonia was a major factor no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 15 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three RBI and one triple.

In other batting news, Addison Walchanowicz was a standout: she got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Paige Priebe, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.

Independence hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive contests.

Independence's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Brooklyn, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-7.