Softball Game Preview: General McLane Lancers vs. McDowell Trojans

The General McLane Lancers will take on the McDowell Trojans at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. General McLane has given up an average of 9.4 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Meadville hit General McLane with a five-run third inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Lancers lost 12-3 to the Bulldogs. The Lancers have struggled against the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.

Meanwhile, McDowell had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 15-0 victory. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matches by six runs or more this season.

Gabriella Deluca made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alexandra Smith, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. She has been hot recently, having posted three or more hits the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Emma Mickel, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.

McDowell always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Meadville only posted an OBP of .000.

McDowell's win bumped their record up to 9-1. As for General McLane, their loss dropped their record down to 2-5.

General McLane suffered a grim 18-3 defeat to McDowell in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Lancers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.