Softball Game Preview: Hackett Hornets vs. Bentonville West Wolverines

The Hackett Hornets will venture away from home to square off against the Bentonville West Wolverines at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Hackett's pitching crew has only allowed 2.5 runs per game this season, so Bentonville West's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Hackett is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Arkansas' top teams: Benton, who was ranked sixth at the time (Hackett was ranked ninth). Hackett fell just short of Benton by a score of 6-5 on Friday. The loss was the Hornets' first of the season.

Meanwhile, Bentonville West made easy work of Lincoln on Friday and carried off a 9-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Wolverines in their matchups with the Wolves: they've now won three in a row.

Mabry Van Es spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits and racked up nine Ks.

On the hitting side, Addie Whisenhunt was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2. Another player making a difference was Kaylyne Wong-Many, who scored two runs and stole two bases.

Bentonville West's win bumped their record up to 5-3. As for Hackett, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-1.

Hackett couldn't quite finish off Bentonville West in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 and fell 5-3. Can Hackett avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.