Softball Game Preview: Liberty Bison vs. Paloma Valley Wildcats

The Liberty Bison will venture away from home to face off against the Paloma Valley Wildcats at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Liberty is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.

Liberty couldn't beat Valley View on Thursday even though they stacked four runs on them in the first inning. The Bison lost 11-4 to the Eagles. The Bison have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Emma Campos made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 4-for-4 with one run. Another player making a difference was Cheri LeDoux, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Paloma Valley was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 5-3 heartbreaker at the hands of Poly. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Wildcats have suffered since March 1, 2024.

Brooklyn Berni was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run.

Paloma Valley's loss dropped their record down to 10-12. As for Liberty, their defeat dropped their record down to 17-9.

Paloma Valley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Liberty has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Paloma Valley, though, as they've been averaging 8.9 hits. Given Liberty's sizable advantage in that area, the Wildcats will need to find a way to close that gap.

Liberty took their win against Paloma Valley when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 11-5 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bison since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.