Softball Game Preview: Oakleaf Knights vs. Ridgeview Panthers

The Oakleaf Knights will take on the Ridgeview Panthers in a tournament on Friday. Neither Oakleaf nor Ridgeview posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Oakleaf's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Yulee 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Knights have posted since February 20th.

The result came thanks to Charlotte Maddox's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Ava Tolbert was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one double, and one RBI.

Oakleaf hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are 2-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Ridgeview was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-1 heartbreaker at the hands of Clay. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Panthers have suffered since April 4, 2024.

Ridgeview saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Peyton Kirk, who scored a run while going 2-for-2.

The win got Oakleaf back to even at 5-5. As for Ridgeview, their loss dropped their record down to 2-6.

Oakleaf skirted past Ridgeview 1-0 when the teams last played back in March of 2024. Will Oakleaf repeat their success, or does Ridgeview have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.