Softball Game Preview: Brownwood Lions vs. Merkel Badgers

The Brownwood Lions will head out on the road to take on the Merkel Badgers at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Brownwood came into their game on Friday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Gatesville, falling 16-6. The Lions' loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.

Carlee Burks made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024.

Burks wasn't the only one working in the home run department: Brownwood lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Merkel). They put the hurt on Grape Creek with a sharp 16-1 win on Tuesday. The Badgers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.

Merkel got a massive performance out of Kindsey Rich, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those RBI were Rich's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Bailey Smith, who went 3-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Brownwood's defeat dropped their record down to 10-6. As for Merkel, their win was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 3-4.

Brownwood might still be hurting after the 9-0 loss they got from Merkel in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Can Brownwood avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.