Softball Game Preview: South Medford Panthers vs. Bend Lava Bears

South Medford hasn't had much luck against Bend recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Panthers will look to defend their home field against the Lava Bears at 4:30 p.m. South Medford will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.

On Tuesday, South Medford needed a bit of extra time to put away Willamette. They won by a run and slipped past the Wolverines 6-5. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by just one run.

Dannika Ostvik

Stolen Base

05/13/25 vs Willamette	1
05/10/25 @ Grants Pass	1
05/06/25 @ South Eugene	2

Dannika Ostvik was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Aubree Joe, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: South Medford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, Bend was a bit more limited in their game on Monday. They came up short against Sherwood, falling 9-1.

South Medford pushed their record up to 16-7 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Bend, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 15-11-1.

South Medford couldn't quite finish off Bend in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 and fell 3-1. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.