Softball Game Preview: Murphy Panthers vs. St. Michael Catholic Cardinals

Murphy is 0-5 against St. Michael Catholic since February of 2024 but things could change on Monday. The Panthers will challenge the Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

St. Michael Catholic will be up against a hot Murphy team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. Everything went the Panthers' way against Chickasaw on Wednesday as they made off with a 13-7 victory.

Meanwhile, St. Michael Catholic got the win against Davidson on Tuesday by a conclusive 12-1. The Cardinals haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.

Addison Pratt made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-1. That's the most runs she has posted over her last ten contests.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Amelia Johnson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Maggie Mattison, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.

St. Michael Catholic hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in four consecutive matches.

St. Michael Catholic's record now sits at 9-14. As for Murphy, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.

Murphy might still be hurting after the 27-9 loss they got from St. Michael Catholic in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.