Softball Game Preview: Pana Panthers vs. Hillsboro Hiltoppers

Panthers

Runs

04/01/25 @ Auburn	3
03/31/25 @ Lincolnwood	11
03/29/25 @ Newton	0
03/28/25 vs Sullivan	8
03/27/25 vs Ramsey	25
+ 3 more games

Pana is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Thursday. They will welcome the Hillsboro Hiltoppers at 4:30 p.m. Pana is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.

Pana easily dispatched Lincolnwood on Monday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Panthers fell just short of Auburn by a score of 5-3 on Tuesday. The Panthers have struggled against the Trojans recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Allie Sarver was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. Izzy Reed was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.

Meanwhile, Hillsboro posted their closest win since March 30, 2024 on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Taylorville 5-4.

The team relied heavily on Briley Kirby, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-4. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Anika Camp, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one double.

Pana's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Hillsboro, the victory also got them back to even at 4-4.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Pana hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hillsboro struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.

Pana took their win against Hillsboro in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Hiltoppers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.