Softball Preview: Bluffton Tigers vs. Southwood Knights
Bluffton and Southwood are an even 4-4 against one another since April of 2015, but likely not for long. The Bluffton Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Southwood Knights at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bluffton had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs), and they went ahead and made it three in Saturday's second game. They were the clear victor by a 14-4 margin over the Bulldogs.
Madyson Sonnigsen was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Sonnigsen was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Madison Smith and Addison Gehring did most of the damage at the plate: Smith scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2, while Gehring scored three runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Kierstynn Reed, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Southwood is still undefeated this season after their contest against Wes-Del on Wednesday, but Wes-Del came as close as anyone has to beating them. Southwood's pitcher stepped up to hand Wes-Del a 2-0 shutout.
Natalie Sutphin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just zero earned runs on three hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts every time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Southwood's win was truly a team effort as two different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Rowan Goodpasture, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Bluffton's record now sits at 3-1. As for Southwood, they pushed their record up to 3-0 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bluffton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .480. However, it's not like Southwood struggles in that department as they've averaged .450. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bluffton suffered a grim 22-4 defeat to Southwood in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Can Bluffton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
