Softball Preview: Bloomington South Panthers vs. Columbus North Bull Dogs
The Bloomington South Panthers will head out on the road to challenge the Columbus North Bull Dogs at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Bloomington South is coming into the contest hot, having won their last three games.
Bloomington South will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Terre Haute North Vigo on Saturday. Bloomington South blew past Terre Haute North Vigo 10-3. Considering Bloomington South has won five matches by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Kinsey Clopton spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on five hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 13 consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Abby Purtlebaugh was incredible, going 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. Larkyn Ivey was another key contributor, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Columbus North, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They skirted past Brownstown Central 5-3. The win was a breath of fresh air for Columbus North as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Peyton Morris was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Morris was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
In other batting news, Kelsey Lovelace was incredible, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with a home run, two stolen bases, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Morgan Jarvis, who scored two runs and stole a base.
Bloomington South has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games, which provided a massive bump to their 10-6 record this season. As for Columbus North, their record is now 8-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bloomington South has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Columbus North struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bloomington South might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Columbus North in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Thankfully for Bloomington South, Maddi Rutan (who didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 12 over eight innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
