The O'Connor Panthers will be taking part in a tournament against the Bridgeland Bears at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday. O'Connor is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
O'Connor's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 5-0 victory over Sotomayor. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the WILDCATS recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Faith Mayfield
| 02/17/26 vs Sotomayor | 2 |
| 02/13/26 vs Melissa | 2 |
| 02/13/26 @ Montwood | 0 |
| 02/12/26 vs Liberty Hill | 1 |
| 02/12/26 vs Midland | 1 |
| 02/09/26 vs Warren | 1 |
The result came thanks to Faith Mayfield's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ella De Luna, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Madison Schindler also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
O'Connor hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in 16 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Bridgeland put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Langham Creek as they made off with an 11-0 victory. The Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by ten runs or more this season.
Tara Tarnowski made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Tarnowski was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Lexie Mingle was incredible, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three RBI and two runs. Another player making a difference was Lilly Young, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
O'Connor's record is now 5-2. As for Bridgeland, their record now sits at 4-2.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. O'Connor hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .357. However, it's not like Bridgeland struggles in that department as they've averaged .316. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
