Softball Game Preview: Northwest Grizzlies vs. West Pioneers

The Northwest Grizzlies will square off against the West Pioneers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The timing is sure in Northwest's favor as the team sits on six straight wins at home while West has been banged up by 13 consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

On Tuesday, Northwest got the win against North by a conclusive 16-2. Considering the Grizzlies have won nine contests by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Elianna Burgardt

Batters Struck Out (Career)

05/06/25 @ North	3
04/15/25 vs Heights	2
04/15/25 vs Heights	2
04/17/25 vs Hays	1

Elianna Burgardt looked comfortable as she tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (three).

At the plate, Kam Stubbs was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with four runs, two triples, and one stolen base. That's the most triples she has posted over her last 14 games. Another player making a difference was Tharon Thomas, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.

Northwest kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.

Meanwhile, West scored the most runs they've had this season last Tuesday, but it wasn't enough. They came up short against Heights, falling 23-8. That's two games in a row now that the Pioneers have lost by exactly 15 runs.

Northwest is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-9 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for West, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.

Northwest took their win against West in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 18-2 score. Do the Grizzlies have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pioneers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.