Softball Game Preview: Taft Wildcats vs. Kennedy Thunderbirds

Wildcats

Runs

03/10/26 vs Golden Valley	5
03/07/26 vs Liberty	5
03/07/26 vs Le Grand	16
03/04/26 vs Tulare Union	5
03/04/26 vs Hoover	13

Taft has gone a perfect 10-0 against Kennedy recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Wildcats will look to defend their home field against the Thunderbirds at 6:00 p.m. Taft is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.

While Taft's victory against Golden Valley wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Wildcats narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Bulldogs 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wildcats have posted since April 22, 2025.

Rilynne Stenderup was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Stenderup was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rylee Owens, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Kennedy and Farmersville, and Farmersville kept the tradition alive. The Thunderbirds lost 14-2 to the Aztecs on Wednesday.

Taft's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Kennedy, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 1-4-1 record this season.

Everything went Taft's way against Kennedy in their previous meeting back in March of 2025, as Taft made off with a 20-0 victory. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Thunderbirds turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.