Softball Recap: North Marion Takes a Loss

North Marion had lost four straight at home, but on Monday they dropped down to 4-17 to make it five. They came up short against the Newberry Panthers, falling 18-8. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 18-1 two weeks ago.

Olivia Pierce stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Ariana Turski, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI and one run.

As for Newberry, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games.

On Newberry's side, Tristan Layfield was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs Layfield has posted since back in March of 2025. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaelyn Williams, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with three RBI and two runs.

Looking ahead, North Marion will challenge West Port at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Wolf Pack have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 10.35 runs per game on average), something the Colts will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Newberry, they will be playing at home against Interlachen at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Rams have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.21 runs per game on average), something the Panthers will no doubt try to take advantage of.