Softball Preview: Lincoln Southeast Knights vs. Norfolk Panthers
Lincoln Southeast hasn't had much luck against Norfolk recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Lincoln Southeast Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Norfolk Panthers at 5:00 p.m. After both made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Lincoln Southeast finally turned things around against Mercy on Saturday. They blew past the Monarchs 13-3. The high-scoring effort was just what the Knights needed considering they were shutout in their previous matchup.
Sydney Kjeldgaard made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. The dominant performance gave her a new career- in strikeouts. Kjeldgaard was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Ava Neumayer was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. That's the most hits she has posted since back in September of 2023. Another player making a difference was Kinley Nixon, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Lincoln Southeast was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Norfolk came tearing into Saturday's match with 11 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by a 10-3 margin over the Crusaders. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won seven contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Lincoln Southeast's victory bumped their record up to 2-7. As for Norfolk, their win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2.
Lincoln Southeast suffered a grim 11-2 defeat to Norfolk in their previous matchup back in August of 2023. Will Lincoln Southeast have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
