Softball Game Preview: Whitmer Panthers vs. Northview Wildcats

The Whitmer Panthers will challenge the Northview Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Whitmer took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They skirted past Elmwood 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Panthers have posted since March 24th.

Alexis Stoldt spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ryleigh Hannibal, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Raegan Lapoint, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.

Meanwhile, it was close, but on Thursday Northview sidestepped Hilltop for a 3-2 victory.

Brooklynn Reinbolt was excellent, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Brynn Mitchell, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one double.

Whitmer's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Northview, their win bumped their record up to 15-7.