Softball Recap: Ninety Six Takes Down North Central in a Playoff Battle

It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Ninety Six had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They came out on top against the North Central Knights by a score of 6-3. Winning may never get old, but the Wildcats sure are getting used to it with their fifth in a row.

Meghan Kimberling spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. Those eight strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.

At the plate, Katie Fortner was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Coster, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one triple.

Wildcats

Previous Games (Home)

05/15/25 vs North Central	6-3
05/07/25 vs Clinton	10-1
04/28/25 vs Saluda	2-1
04/22/25 vs American Leadership Academy	11-2
04/17/25 vs Dixie	12-2
+ 7 more games

Ninety Six pushed their record up to 20-5 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for North Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 16-8.

Ninety Six has already played their next match, a 14-3 victory against Pelion on the 16th. North Central does not have any more games scheduled as of now.