The Bruton Panthers will face off against the West Point Pointers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Bruton is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 36-11 margin over Northampton last Thursday. With that victory, the Panthers brought their scoring average up to 9.4 runs per game.
Taylor Mass was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Mass was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Summer Hannam was a standout: she got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four stolen bases, six RBI, and four runs. Another player making a difference was TK Wynkoop, who scored six runs and stole seven bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances.
Bruton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. They are 2-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for West Point, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in March. They never let King & Queen Central get on the board and left with a 17-0 win on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Pointers in their matchups with the Royal Tigers: they've now won eight in a row.
West Point also got a great performance from Terrah Henrich as she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts Henrich has posted since back in April of 2024.
On the hitting side, Delaney White was a standout: she scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. That's the most runs she has posted since back in May of 2024. Haley Spradlin was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
West Point's win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Bruton, they moved to 2-6 with that win, which also ended their four-game losing streak.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bruton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .525. However, it's not like West Point struggles in that department as they've averaged .524. 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.
