Softball Game Preview: Miller City Wildcats vs. Van Wert Cougars

The Miller City Wildcats will venture away from home to take on the Van Wert Cougars at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Miller City is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.

Miller City's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Columbus Grove. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won three in a row.

Not much got past Karlee Gilgenbach, who gave up just two hits and racked up six Ks to keep Columbus Grove off the board.

Peyton Michel

Doubles (Career)

04/23/25 vs Columbus Grove	2
04/22/25 @ Pandora-Gilboa	1
04/14/25 vs Ottawa-Glandorf	1
03/29/25 vs Liberty Center	1
03/29/25 vs Liberty Center	1

At the plate, Miller City let Morgan Verhoff and Peyton Michel run wild. Verhoff got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Michel went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave Michel a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Bailey David, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one double.

Defiance hit Van Wert with a five-run first inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Cougars lost 11-0 to the Bulldogs. The Cougars have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Van Wert's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Miller City, they now have a winning record of 7-6.

Miller City's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Wildcats have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Van Wert, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Miller City continue to outrun the ball?

Everything went Miller City's way against Van Wert in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, as Miller City made off with a 13-5 win. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.