Softball Game Preview: Stratford Spartans vs. Cy-Fair Bobcats

Stratford is 1-9 against Cy-Fair since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Stratford Spartans will challenge the Cy-Fair Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

Stratford had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 12-run drubbing they dealt Jersey Village on Tuesday. Stratford put the hurt on Jersey Village with a sharp 17-5 win. Winning may never get old, but the Spartans sure are getting used to it with their fifth in a row.

Stratford got a massive performance out of Layla Yslas, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs Yslas has posted since back in April of 2024. Allison Hibbetts was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.

Yslas wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Stratford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cy-Fair). Their pitchers stepped up to hand Memorial a 13-0 shutout on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.

Stratford pushed their record up to 8-3 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Cy-Fair, their record is now 10-5.

Stratford came up short against Cy-Fair in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 5-0. Can Stratford avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.