The Midlothian Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Melissa Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Midlothian comes in on four and Melissa on 47.
Midlothian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand White a 26-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 19 games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Midlothian got a great performance from Austyn Pena as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Pena has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Jocelyn Martinez
| 05/02/25 vs White | 2 |
| 05/01/25 vs White | 1 |
| 03/10/25 vs Ennis | 1 |
| 02/15/25 @ Grapevine | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jocelyn Martinez, who fired off two home runs, nine RBI, and three runs while going 4-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Madison Howard was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Midlothian kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 21 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Wakeland typically has all the answers at home, but on Friday Melissa proved too difficult a challenge. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Wolverines. The Cardinals are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the 27th matchup they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Eloisa Maes tossed a big game, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched.
At the plate, Kennedy Bradley was incredible, firing off two home runs and six RBI while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Finlee Williams, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Melissa's win was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 32-0. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 11.2 runs thus far. As for Midlothian, their record is now 24-8-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Midlothian hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .383. However, it's not like Melissa struggles in that department as they've averaged .490. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
