Softball Game Preview: Pine Prairie Panthers vs. Buckeye Panthers

We've got a battle between Panthers coming up. Pine Prairie's pitching crew has only allowed 2.7 runs per game this season, so Buckeye's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

On Wednesday, Pine Prairie was able to grind out a solid victory over Church Point, taking the game 4-1. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.

Kynnedi Ware spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up 19 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 17 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Pine Prairie's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ella Fontenot, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

Pine Prairie was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Church Point only posted a batting average of .154.

Meanwhile, Buckeye gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They blew past Glenmora 14-1. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Buckeye has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 13 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Pine Prairie, their victory was their 12th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 24-3.

Pine Prairie might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from Buckeye in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. Can Pine Prairie avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.