Softball Game Preview: Johnson Creek Bluejays vs. Palmyra-Eagle Panthers

Johnson Creek is 7-1 against Palmyra-Eagle since March of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Bluejays will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Johnson Creek has four straight wins, Palmyra-Eagle has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Johnson Creek is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against Williams Bay on Tuesday as they made off with an 18-9 victory. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.

Tori Buglass was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4.

Lainey Benz

Runs Batted In

04/08/25 vs Williams Bay	3
04/05/25 vs Whitewater	0
04/04/25 vs Horicon	2
04/01/25 @ Marshall	2
05/14/24 @ Lodi	1
+ 2 more games

In other batting news, Johnson Creek got a massive performance out of Lainey Benz, who scored three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. What's more, Benz posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. Madi Brigowatz was another key player, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.

Johnson Creek kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in four consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Palmyra-Eagle didn't have quite enough to beat Whitewater on Tuesday and fell 10-8. That's two games in a row now that the Panthers have lost by exactly two runs.

Johnson Creek's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 12.0 runs this season. As for Palmyra-Eagle, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.

Johnson Creek skirted past Palmyra-Eagle 8-7 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Bluejays repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.