Softball Game Preview: Big Bear Bears vs. Fontana Steelers

The Big Bear Bears are taking a road trip to square off against the Fontana Steelers at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Big Bear knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully Fontana likes a good challenge.

While Big Bear didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Avalon on Saturday. The win continues a trend for the Bears in their matchups with the Lancers: they've now won three in a row.

Abigail Hendricks

Batters Struck Out

03/22/25 @ Avalon	10
03/19/25 @ West Valley	4
03/17/25 @ Twentynine Palms	6
03/10/25 @ Banning	5
02/27/25 @ Pacific	0
+ 3 more games

Abigail Hendricks was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played.

In other batting news, Kyrie Sanchez was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Another player making a difference was Emmerson Geary, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Fontana fell victim to Colton and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Yellowjackets, falling 10-0. The contest marked the first time this season in which the Steelers were not able to get on the board.

Big Bear's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 17.0 runs over those games. As for Fontana, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 5-4.