Softball Game Preview: Mapleton Mounties vs. Norwayne Bobcats

The Mapleton Mounties are taking a road trip to square off against the Norwayne Bobcats at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Mapleton made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Crestview, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Mounties fell just short of the Cougars by a score of 5-3 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Mounties have suffered since April 2nd.

Meanwhile, Norwayne came tearing into Wednesday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Indians as they made off with a 15-5 victory. Considering the Bobcats have won 12 matches by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.

The team relied heavily on Makenna Heyden, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Landyn Berry, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs.

Norwayne pushed their record up to 14-2 with the win, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Mapleton, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 8-10 record this season.

Mapleton couldn't quite get it done against Norwayne in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 as they fell 13-8. Can the Mounties avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.