Softball Preview: Sandpoint Bulldogs vs. Lakeland Hawks
Sandpoint has been on the road for four straight, but on Thursday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Lakeland Hawks at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Sandpoint will head into Friday's matchup ready to turn things around: they couldn't quite beat Post Falls on Friday but the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the ten-point defeat they were dealt on Friday. Sandpoint fell just short of Post Falls by a score of 17-15. Sandpoint has struggled against Post Falls recently, as their contest on Friday was their ninth consecutive lost matchup.
PEYTON CESSNA and CADENCE SKIBITSKY stepped up to the plate in a big way. CESSNA went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while SKIBITSKY went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was KAYLEE MCCOWN, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Sandpoint kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Post Falls only hit 11.
Meanwhile, Lakeland scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Post Falls with a sharp 16-8 win. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
The team relied heavily on Kiersten Drake, who fired off three home runs, six RBI, and four runs while going 4-for-5. Ada Blakemore was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.
Sandpoint's loss dropped their record down to 3-9. As for Lakeland, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-6.
Thursday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Sandpoint hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .354. However, it's not like Lakeland struggles in that department as they've averaged .344. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Sandpoint suffered a grim 15-2 defeat to Lakeland when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can Sandpoint avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
