Softball Preview: Lyons Lions vs. University Bulldogs
Lyons hasn't had much luck against University recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Lyons Lions will venture away from home to face off against the University Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
University is hoping to do what Platte Valley couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Lyons' winning streak, which now stands at four games. Lyons' pitcher stepped up to hand Platte Valley a 16-0 shutout.
Gretta Wynja made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and a double.
In other batting news, Lyons got a massive performance out of Ava Vasquez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Phoebe Moellenberg, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Lyons was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .750. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved they're batting average total in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask University). They blew past Valley 17-0 last Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Like Lyons, University also got a great game from a two-way player: Jasi Cole. She struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Cole was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a home run, five RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Natalie Galindo was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 2-for-2. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in home runs. Another player making a difference was Emma Zacheis, who scored three runs while going 3-for-3.
Lyons' win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-4. As for University, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lyons has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like University struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lyons came up short against University when the teams last played back in October of 2023, falling 6-2. Can Lyons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
