Softball Game Preview: Von Steuben Panthers vs. Rickover Naval Seadragons

The Von Steuben Panthers will square off against the Rickover Naval Seadragons at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Von Steuben has three straight wins, Rickover Naval has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

On Thursday, Von Steuben got the win against Northtown by a conclusive 20-2. Considering the Panthers have won three matchups by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Abigail Land made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off seven hits. Those hits were her first of the season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.

Sophia Hernandez

Runs (Career)

04/10/25 @ Northtown	4
04/09/25 vs Rickover Naval	3
04/19/24 vs Schurz	3
04/05/24 @ Steinmetz College Prep	3
04/04/25 vs Lake View	2

In other batting news, Sophia Hernandez was a standout: she scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Those four runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Skye Rojek, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Von Steuben always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .829. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Rickover Naval lost 20-1 to Jones on Thursday. The contest marked the Seadragons' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Rickover Naval's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Von Steuben, their record now sits at 3-1.

Rickover Naval's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Von Steuben hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .433. It's a different story for Rickover Naval, though, as they've only averaged .176. Will they be able to contain Von Steuben's hitters?

Von Steuben took their victory against Rickover Naval in their previous meeting on Wednesday by a conclusive 23-8 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Panthers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.