Softball Game Preview: Henley Hornets vs. Phoenix Pirates

Henley has gone a perfect 10-0 against Phoenix recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Hornets will be playing at home against the Pirates at 5:00 p.m.

Henley is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering Hidden Valley just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Friday. They came up short against the Mustangs, falling 12-2. Having soared to a lofty 16 runs in the game before, the Hornets couldn't push the score so high this time.

Meanwhile, Phoenix had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 10-3 victory. The Pirates might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by seven runs or more this season.

The team relied heavily on Isla Ulrich, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Those stolen bases marked the first that she snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Carsyn Sousa, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.

Phoenix lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

Phoenix's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.4 runs over those games. As for Henley, their loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 6-3.

Everything went Henley's way against Phoenix in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Henley made off with a 14-1 win. Do the Hornets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.