Softball Game Preview: Grant Park Dragons vs. Milford Bearcats

Grant Park hasn't had much luck against Milford recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. Grant Park will venture away from home to face off against Milford at 4:30 p.m. Grant Park will be strutting in after a win while Milford will be coming in after a loss.

Grant Park barely beat Illinois Lutheran the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Grant Park blew past Illinois Lutheran 16-2 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Dragons in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won four in a row.

Cheyenne Hayes

Hits

03/25/25 @ Illinois Lutheran	3
03/18/25 @ Manteno	1
03/17/25 vs Wilmington	1
05/22/24 vs Newark	1
05/18/24 vs Woodland	1
+ 6 more games

Cheyenne Hayes made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out 15 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Hayes was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, Lola Malkowski was a standout: she scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Emily Voigt was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.

Grant Park always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Illinois Lutheran only posted an OBP of .348.

Meanwhile, Milford suffered their biggest defeat since May 1, 2024 on Tuesday. They lost 14-3 to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin. The loss was the Bearcats' first of the season.

Lillie Harris made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 3-for-3. Jossalin Lavicka also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Grant Park's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-2. As for Milford, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.

Grant Park suffered a grim 18-1 defeat to Milford in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. Can Grant Park avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.