Softball Recap: Southwestern Picks Up Tenth Consecutive Victory

Piasa Birds

Previous Games

05/06/25 vs Pana	6-5
04/29/25 vs Gillespie	14-7
04/23/25 @ New Berlin/Franklin/Waverly	13-1
04/23/25 @ New Berlin	13-1
04/18/25 @ Litchfield	6-2
+ 5 more games

Southwestern proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by seven) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out the Pana Panthers 6-5. Winning may never get old, but the Piasa Birds sure are getting used to it with their tenth in a row.

Grace Strohbeck spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks.

On the hitting side, Vivian Zurheide was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. She has been hot recently, having posted three or more RBI the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Sydney Valdes, who went 3-for-4 with three runs.

Southwestern pushed their record up to 12-3-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Pana, they moved to 10-9-1 with that loss, which also ended their six-game winning streak.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Southwestern will host Metro-East Lutheran at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Piasa Birds' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Knights have averaged an impressive 6.7 runs per game this season. As for Pana, they will be playing at home against Staunton at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Bulldogs' pitching crew has only allowed 1.8 runs per game this season, so the Panthers' hitters will have their work cut out for them.