Softball Game Preview: Elmwood Royals vs. Bryan Golden Bears

The Elmwood Royals will take on the Bryan Golden Bears at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Elmwood 4, Bryan 1.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Elmwood is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Eastwood just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They took a 5-1 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Eagles.

Meanwhile, Bryan had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. Considering the Golden Bears have won six games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Mylie Vollmer and Josey Arnold did most of the damage at the plate: Vollmer went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Arnold went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave Arnold a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Averyann Fisher, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one stolen base.

Bryan hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Liberty Center struck out 12 times.

Bryan's victory was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Elmwood, their loss dropped their record down to 9-6.

Elmwood couldn't quite get it done against Bryan when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 8-3. Will the Royals have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.