Softball Game Preview: Pickerington North Panthers vs. Lincoln Lions

Pickerington North hasn't had much luck against Lincoln recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Panthers will take on the Lions at 5:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Marysville hit Pickerington North with a four-run third inning on Saturday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers took a 7-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Monarchs. The Panthers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Pickerington North saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maria Gent, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.

Meanwhile, after a string of seven wins, Lincoln's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell just short of Olentangy by a score of 6-5.

Lincoln also got a good showing from Ella Carlson, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Carlson has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Lauren Guthrie was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Ava Miller also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.

Pickerington North's loss dropped their record down to 6-12. As for Lincoln, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-6.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Pickerington North hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Lincoln struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.

Pickerington North suffered a grim 12-4 defeat to Lincoln when the teams last played last Wednesday. Can the Panthers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.