Softball Preview: Wayne Badgers vs. Panguitch Bobcats
The Wayne Badgers will head out on the road to take on the Panguitch Bobcats at 3:30 p.m. in Tuesday's first game. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Wayne has three straight wins, Panguitch has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
In Friday's second game, Wayne got the win against Monticello by a conclusive 19-1. That 18 run margin sets a new team best for Wayne this season.
Rylan Taylor made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (she also only allowed one walk). Taylor was even better at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played.
In other batting news, Wayne got a massive performance out of MaKayla Jones, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, a triple, and a stolen base. Jones is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cassie Rees, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Panguitch fell victim to a rough 21-4 defeat at the hands of Kanab on Monday.
Kadee Harland was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Jocelyn Certonio was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-3.
Wayne's victory bumped their record up to 3-5. As for Panguitch, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp in Tuesday's first game as neither team is afraid to steal. Wayne has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Panguitch struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.5. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Wayne beat Panguitch 14-11 in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Will Wayne repeat their success, or does Panguitch have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
