Softball Game Preview: Cousino Patriots vs. Center Line Panthers

The Cousino Patriots will square off against the Center Line Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Center Line took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Cousino, who comes in off a win.

Cousino took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over Lamphere. The victory continues a trend for the Patriots in their matchups with the Rams: they've now won three in a row.

Haley Neal was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Neal was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs.

In other batting news, Carly Greathouse and Davi Wieczorek did most of the damage at the plate: Greathouse got on base in two of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs, while Wieczorek went 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Laela Bendert, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.

Cousino always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, Center Line was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 11th straight defeat dating back to last season. They came up short against Clawson, falling 21-0.

Center Line saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Imani Williams, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one double. That hit marked the first that Williams has got this season.

Cousino's win bumped their record up to 2-6. As for Center Line, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.

Everything went Cousino's way against Center Line in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Cousino made off with a 17-2 victory. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.