Softball Game Preview: Gadsden Panthers vs. Centennial Hawks

Gadsden hasn't had much luck against Centennial recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Hawks at 7:00 p.m. Gadsden has given up an average of 8.6 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Gadsden is headed into Monday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their sixth straight game on Thursday. They came up short against Las Cruces, falling 12-1.

Gadsden saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alyssa Lujan, who went 1-for-2 with one double.

Meanwhile, Centennial strolled into their game on Thursday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They put the hurt on Mayfield with a sharp 13-3 win. Considering the Hawks have won 13 matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Destiny Perez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one home run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Stevie Jimenez, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double. Addie Moccia was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.

Centennial's victory was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-0. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Gadsden, their loss dropped their record down to 5-12.

Gadsden suffered a grim 18-0 defeat to Centennial when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.