The Billings Senior Broncs will take on the Belgrade Panthers at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Billings Senior is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Montana's top teams: Billings West, who was ranked fourth at the time (Billings Senior was ranked 24th). The Broncs came up short against the Golden Bears on Monday, falling 9-3. The Broncs' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Makenna Murdock made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run. Ivy Runsabove was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Belgrade ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Skyview 10-9.
Mallory Zimmer tossed a big game, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Bailee White, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and two doubles. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Paige Fulton, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and two RBI.
Belgrade kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in four consecutive games.
Billings Senior's defeat dropped their record down to 5-8. As for Belgrade, their victory bumped their record up to 13-3.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Billings Senior hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. However, it's not like Belgrade struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. 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.
