Softball Recap: Lovejoy Now 7-1 over Last Eight Games

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Walnut Grove, Lovejoy was happy to have turned things around on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 12-1 margin over the McKinney North Bulldogs. The Leopards might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by six runs or more this season.

Izzy Guarriello

Batters Struck Out

03/14/25 vs McKinney North	14
03/11/25 vs Walnut Grove	9
03/07/25 @ Denison	9
03/05/25 vs Anna	6
03/01/25 vs Odessa	7
+ 8 more games

Izzy Guarriello spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 13 consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Torii Johannes was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jainael Richardson, who scored four runs and stole Two bases. while going 5-for-5.

Johannes wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Lovejoy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.

Lovejoy is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. McKinney North dropped their record down to 1-12 with the defeat, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season.

Lovejoy and McKinney North could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Texas Rankings. Lovejoy will face off against Melissa at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday down 221 places (225 vs. 4). Meanwhile, McKinney North (ranked 819th) will meet Walnut Grove (ranked 56th) at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday.