Softball Game Preview: Barnesville Trojans vs. Park Rapids Panthers

Barnesville is 2-8 against Park Rapids since June of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Trojans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

Barnesville fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Perham on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Yellowjackets by a score of 9-8.

Meanwhile, Park Rapids was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 10-9 heartbreaker at the hands of Staples-Motley.

Allie Rowland and Vivian Shepersky stepped up to the plate in a big way. Rowland went 2-for-5 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Shepersky went 3-for-5 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Nora Cederstrom, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Barnesville's loss dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Park Rapids, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.

Barnesville came up short against Park Rapids in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 10-7. Can the Trojans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.