Softball Game Preview: Granite Hills Cougars vs. Victor Valley Jackrabbits

For the second straight game, Granite Hills will face off against Victor Valley. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Jackrabbits at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Granite Hills has four straight victories, Victor Valley has 26 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Granite Hills barely beat Victor Valley the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 16-4 margin over the Jackrabbits on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won eight matches by seven runs or more so far this season.

Kathryn (Kat) McCartney spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up eight Ks.

Taylor Godwin

Runs Batted In (Career)

04/23/25 @ Victor Valley	5
02/20/25 vs Hesperia	3
04/04/25 @ Barstow	2
02/26/25 vs Academy for Academic Excellence	2
04/16/25 @ Adelanto	1

At the plate, Granite Hills let Mylie Shepard and Taylor Godwin run wild. Shepard went 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Godwin went 3-for-5 with five RBI, three runs, and one double. Those five RBI gave Godwin a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Emily Marks, who went 2-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Granite Hills kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 23 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 14 hits in six consecutive contests.

Granite Hills' win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-6. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 19.0 runs over those games. As for Victor Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-14.