Softball Game Preview: Neoga Indians vs. Oblong Panthers

Neoga hasn't had much luck against Oblong recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Indians will take on the Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Neoga will be strutting in after a win while Oblong will be coming in after a defeat.

Neoga is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Cerro Gordo/Bement with a sharp 13-3 victory on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.

Hannah Propst was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Audrey Kepp

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/15/25 vs Cerro Gordo/Bement	2
04/10/25 vs Brownstown/St. Elmo	1
03/28/25 vs Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland]	1
03/18/25 @ Martinsville	1

In other batting news, Katelynn Gollihar and Audrey Kepp did most of the damage at the plate: Gollihar scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Kepp scored three runs while going 1-for-4. The dominant performance also gave Kepp a new career-high in RBI (two). Emily Frankie also deserves some recognition as she scored her first runs of the season.

Meanwhile, Oblong started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Martinsville. They lost 9-3 to the Bluestreaks on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Panthers have suffered against the Bluestreaks since May 17, 2021.

Brylee Murray was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one triple. Another player making a difference was Brooke Kintner, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4.

This is the second loss in a row for Oblong and nudges their season record down to 2-4. As for Neoga, their record now sits at 3-8.

Neoga might still be hurting after the 18-4 defeat they got from Oblong in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.