Softball Game Preview: Our Lady of Mercy Monarchs vs. Penfield Patriots

The Our Lady of Mercy Monarchs are taking a road trip to face off against the Penfield Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Our Lady of Mercy took a eight-run loss the last time they faced off against Brighton, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Monarchs came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bruins on Wednesday, sneaking past 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Monarchs have posted since April 27, 2024.

Meanwhile, Penfield hadn't done well against Victor recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Patriots walked away with an 8-5 victory over the Blue Devils. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Patriots.

Stephanie Coughlin and Vivian Russo did most of the damage at the plate: Coughlin went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while Russo got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Coughlin is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: she's snagged at least one every time she's taken the field this season. Ella Malley also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Penfield was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Victor only posted a batting average of .222.

Our Lady of Mercy's win was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Penfield, their record is now 3-5.

Our Lady of Mercy came out on top in a nail-biter against Penfield when the teams last played back in April of 2023, sneaking past 5-3. Do the Monarchs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.