Softball Game Preview: River Valley Panthers vs. United Lions

The River Valley Panthers will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against the United Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. United took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on River Valley, who comes in off a win.

River Valley barely beat Cambria Heights the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. River Valley blew past Cambria Heights 14-6 on Tuesday.

Sara Bollinger made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off 11 hits. Bollinger was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lilian Buckles, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. Maddie Twinchek was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.

Meanwhile, United was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their eighth straight defeat dating back to last season. They came up short against Homer-Center, falling 20-0.

Everything went River Valley's way against United in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as River Valley made off with a 12-0 victory. Will River Valley repeat their success, or does United has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.