Softball Game Preview: Palisade Bulldogs vs. Castle View Sabercats

The Palisade Bulldogs will take on the Castle View Sabercats in a tournament on Saturday. The timing is sure in Palisade's favor as the team sits on five straight wins at home while Castle View has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road.

On Friday, Palisade was able to grind out a solid victory over Heritage, taking the game 7-4.

MacKenzie Gray spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Lexi Trottier was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Chloe Cummings, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.

Palisade was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .452. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Meanwhile, Castle View came up short against Grand Junction Central on Friday and fell 6-2.

Castle View's defeat dropped their record down to 5-10. As for Palisade, their win bumped their record up to 10-5.

Palisade couldn't quite get it done against Castle View when the teams last played back in September of 2024 as they fell 7-3. Can the Bulldogs avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.