Softball Game Preview: Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies vs. Lakewood Lancers

By Team Reports May 8, 2025, 12:04am

Softball Preview: Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies vs. Lakewood Lancers

Suggested Video

The Johnstown-Monroe Johnnies will head out on the road to square off against the Lakewood Lancers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Johnstown-Monroe is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.

Johnstown-Monroe's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They blew past Zanesville 26-0. The win continues a trend for the Johnnies in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won three in a row.

Riley Stefanick

Stolen Base (Career)

05/07/25 vs Zanesville2
04/21/25 @ Newark Catholic1
04/18/25 vs Mathews1
04/14/25 @ Northridge1
04/03/25 @ Highland1

Riley Stefanick and Abigail Wood were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Stefanick tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Wood pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Stefanick has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. At the plate, Stefanick got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI, while Wood went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Stefanick a new career-high.

In other batting news, Johnstown-Monroe got a massive performance out of Addy Zak, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs Zak has posted since back in April of 2024. Reese Lyons was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles.

Johnstown-Monroe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .806. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Meanwhile, Lakewood fell victim to Mt. Vernon and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Yellowjackets. That makes it the first time this season the Lancers have let down their home crowd.

Ashlyn Carder spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.

At the plate, Lakewood saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Averie Adams, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double.

Johnstown-Monroe's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Lakewood, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 15-4.

Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Johnstown-Monroe hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Lakewood struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Johnstown-Monroe skirted past Lakewood 3-2 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Johnnies since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps