Softball Game Preview: Central Tigers vs. St. Pius X Lancers

The Central Tigers will face off against the St. Pius X Lancers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Central has now lost seven straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since September 11.

Central had taken Naylor down for five straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Thursday. The Tigers lost 17-8 to the Eagles.

Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, St. Pius X made sure to put some runs up on the board against St. Clair on Tuesday. The Lancers put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 17-2 win. The victory continues a trend for the Lancers in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won four in a row.

Taylor Bean tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Gracie Drinen was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those runs were her first of the season. Ellie Lang was another key player, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.

St. Pius X always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .553. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as St. Clair only posted an OBP of .304.

St. Pius X picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 2-13. As for Central, their loss dropped their record down to 2-9.

Central suffered a grim 13-2 defeat to St. Pius X in their previous meeting back in September of 2024. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.