Softball Preview: West Park Panthers vs. Bear River Bruins
The West Park Panthers will head out on the road to face off against the Bear River Bruins at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be battling to keep a three-game winning streak alive.
West Park will bounce into Wednesday's game after beating Ponderosa, who they hadn't topped in four consecutive meetings. West Park had just enough and edged Ponderosa out 5-4.
Jessica Cochran spent all nine innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Mady Schultze was incredible, going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabella Huston, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and a triple.
Meanwhile, Bear River put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They blew past Center 21-3.
Taryn Cleek made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Cleek was even better at the plate, scoring five runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gretta Barrieau, who went 3-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. Cassidy Craig was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
West Park's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-3. As for Bear River, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-4-1 record this season.
Wednesday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. West Park hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .331. However, it's not like Bear River struggles in that department as they've averaged .383. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Park suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Bear River when the teams last played back in March of 2022. Can West Park avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
