Softball Game Preview: Dawson Bulldogs vs. Italy Gladiators

Dawson is 1-8 against Italy since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Bulldogs will venture away from home to square off against the Gladiators at 6:00 p.m. Dawson has given up an average of 9.5 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Dawson is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They came out on top against Hubbard by a score of 14-11. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Bulldogs considering their two-run performance the contest before.

Laney Cates spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and 11 unearned) runs on ten hits.

Chloe Boatright

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/21/25 vs Hubbard	5
04/15/25 vs Mart	3
04/08/25 vs Axtell	2
04/04/25 @ Hubbard	2
03/01/25 vs Ennis	2

At the plate, Chloe Boatright was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kaylee Payne, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Italy came up short against Rio Vista on Thursday and fell 10-6.

Addy Slovak made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with five stolen bases, two runs, and one double. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last 13 games she's played.

Dawson moved to 6-19 with that victory, which also ended their four-game losing streak. As for Italy, their loss ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 14-7.

Dawson might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Italy in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.