Softball Game Preview: Washington Panthers vs. Bloomington Purple Raiders

Washington is on a ten-game streak of home wins, while Bloomington is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Panthers will welcome the Purple Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Washington 1.9, Bloomington 1.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Washington is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Morton with a sharp 14-4 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 18 games by six runs or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Bloomington unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of Normal Community by a score of 2-0. Having soared to a lofty 21 runs in the game before, the Purple Raiders' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Normal Community's batters probably weren't too happy with Reilly Vetter, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 13 Ks (she gave up two walks). Vetter has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Bloomington saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lauren Nichols, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.

Bloomington's defeat dropped their record down to 15-4. As for Washington, their win bumped their record up to 30-2.

Washington skirted past Bloomington 3-1 when the teams last played back in March. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Purple Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.