Softball Game Preview: Newberry Panthers vs. Bronson Eagles

The Newberry Panthers will square off against the Bronson Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Newberry has 11 straight wins, Bronson has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Last Friday, Newberry made easy work of St. Augustine and carried off an 11-4 victory. Considering the Panthers have won six matchups by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Malana Kennard was a standout: she scored two runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Olivia Tharp, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Bronson lost a heartbreaker to Williston when they met back in March of 2019, and they left with a heavy heart again on Friday. Bronson lost 11-0 to Williston. The contest marked the first time this season in which the Eagles were not able to get on the board.

Newberry pushed their record up to 11-0 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Bronson, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-9.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Newberry has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bronson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Newberry was able to grind out a solid win over Bronson when the teams last played back in February, winning 7-2. Will Newberry repeat their success, or does Bronson has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.