Softball Game Preview: King Lions vs. Mulberry Panthers

The King Lions are taking a road trip to square off against the Mulberry Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. King has given up an average of 16.7 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

King is headed into Monday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Wednesday. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 18-3 to Blake, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.

King saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Anna Earle, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one run and one RBI.

Mulberry never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Kathleen on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Red Devils with a sharp 18-1 victory.

Haylie Hightower made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Hightower was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one double. Those two RBI gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Mulberry got a massive performance out of Lorianys Castanon Cruz, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, three runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI Castanon Cruz has posted since back in February of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Gracie Donalson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, one triple, and one stolen base.

Mulberry always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .955. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

King's loss dropped their record down to 4-15. As for Mulberry, their record now sits at 14-10.