Softball Game Preview: Minisink Valley Warriors vs. Monticello Panthers

Minisink Valley has gone a perfect 10-0 against Monticello recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Warriors are taking a road trip to square off against the Panthers at 4:15 p.m. Neither Minisink Valley nor Monticello posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

On Wednesday, Minisink Valley sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Middletown. The win continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Middie Bears: they've now won five in a row.

Emily Smith

Base on Balls Against

04/23/25 vs Middletown	1
04/17/25 vs Wallenpaupack Area	0
04/16/25 vs Kingston	2
04/14/25 @ Port Jervis	1
04/11/25 vs Warwick	1
+ 2 more games

Emily Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.

On the hitting side, Minisink Valley's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Callie Hitt, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one RBI. That hit was Hitt's first of the season.

Meanwhile, Monticello was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their eighth straight defeat dating back to last season. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 13-0 to Warwick, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.

Monticello's loss dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Minisink Valley, their win bumped their record up to 5-2.

Everything went Minisink Valley's way against Monticello in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Minisink Valley made off with a 19-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.