Softball Game Preview: Madison Bobcats vs. Thunder Ridge Titans

Madison is 1-9 against Thunder Ridge since April of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Bobcats will venture away from home to square off against the Titans at 3:30 p.m. Madison has given up an average of 6.9 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Shelley hit Madison with a five-run seventh inning last Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bobcats fell 11-6 to the Russets. While the Bobcats didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Russets 6-1 in the first period.

Meanwhile, Thunder Ridge faced Highland in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Titans were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Rams. The Titans haven't had any issues with the Rams recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.

Carly Jones spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Giulia Johns, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Zoey Sorg, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

Thunder Ridge's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Madison, their loss dropped their record down to 6-8.

Madison came up short against Thunder Ridge in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 5-1. Can the Bobcats avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.