Softball Game Preview: Gainesville Leopards vs. Burkburnett Bulldogs

By Team Reports Apr 6, 2024, 2:19am

Softball Preview: Gainesville Leopards vs. Burkburnett Bulldogs

Gainesville is 0-4 against Burkburnett since March of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Gainesville Leopards will head out on the road to take on the Burkburnett Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Tuesday, Gainesville got the win against Hirschi by a conclusive 20-5. The win was just what Gainesville needed coming off of a 15-0 defeat in their prior matchup.

Maliah Diaz looked comfortable as she pitched an inning while giving up no earned run or hits (she also didn't allow any walks).

At the plate, Gainesville got a massive performance out of Kennedy Dodson, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Savannah Roessler was another key contributor, going 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs.

Meanwhile, Burkburnett put the finishing touches on their 11th blowout victory of the season on Friday. They never let Hirschi onto the board and left with a 17-0 victory.

Delaney C reitz made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. C reitz has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. C reitz was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.

In other batting news, Burkburnett got a massive performance out of Mckenzie Hibbs, who went 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Tessa Pitts, who went 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBI.

Gainesville's record now sits at 6-10. As for Burkburnett, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games, which provided a massive bump to their 14-9 record this season.

Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gainesville has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .508. However, it's not like Burkburnett struggles in that department as they've averaged .472. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Gainesville might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Burkburnett when the teams last played back in March. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Burkburnett's Kennedy Smith, who struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Now that Gainesville knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps