Softball Preview: Skyview Falcons vs. Billings West Golden Bears
The Skyview Falcons will head out on the road to square off against the Billings West Golden Bears at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Skyview is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Montana's top teams: Russell, who was ranked 16th in their home state at the time (Skyview was ranked 13th). Skyview blew past Russell 12-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Skyview.
Lily Adams spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Lexi Johnston and Kelsey Hjelm did most of the damage at the plate: Johnston went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Hjelm went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs. Johnston hasn't dropped below three RBI for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddisyn Barnhart, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Billings West made easy work of Russell on Saturday and carried off an 18-2 win. That 16 run margin sets a new team best for Billings West this season.
Kylie King made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. King was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and six RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mya Boos, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Tatum Bush, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with a home run and three runs.
Skyview's record now sits at 5-3. As for Billings West, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Skyview hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .370. However, it's not like Billings West struggles in that department as they've averaged .423. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Skyview suffered a grim 16-0 defeat to Billings West in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Thankfully for Skyview, Camden Susott (who went 2-for-2 with a home run, seven RBI, and three runs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
