Softball Game Preview: Chico Panthers vs. Central Valley Falcons

The Chico Panthers will head out to take on the Central Valley Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Chico took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They had just enough and edged out Yuba City 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since April 26, 2024.

Camile Murphy spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on six hits.

At the plate, Chico saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lily Ritter, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Meanwhile, Central Valley can bid farewell to their three-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game on Tuesday. They blew past Corning 12-2.

Joleen Short made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in March of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.

In other batting news, Ava Lanzit was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-4. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Savannah Beckman, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.

Central Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Corning only posted an OBP of .250.