Softball Recap: St. Paul Comes Up Short

St. Paul had lost four straight on the road, but on Saturday they dropped down to 9-10 to make it five. They lost 15-2 to the Central City Bison. If the Wildcats were looking for revenge after losing 7-5 to the Bison when the teams met back in October of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.

St. Paul saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alli Dugan, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was Dugan's first of the season.

As for Central City, they are on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 14 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games.

On Central City's side, Payton Burbach made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Burbach has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and one run. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Emma Brandes was incredible, firing off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Addie Burbach, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.

St. Paul will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against Southern/Diller-Odell at 12:30 p.m. As for Central City, they have the luxury of staying home for another game and will welcome NEN at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.