Prairie Central hasn't had much luck against Pontiac recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Hawks will be playing in front of their home fans against the Indians at 4:30 p.m. Prairie Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Prairie Central is headed into Monday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Friday. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 5-3 heartbreaker at the hands of Reed-Custer. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Hawks have suffered since April 15th.
Jules Woodrey made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run. Another player making a difference was Kyah Creek, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Pontiac entered their tilt with Limestone on Saturday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They walked away with a 5-1 victory over the Rockets. Five seems to be a good number for the Indians as the team scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Pontiac also got a great performance from Natalie Zimmerman as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. Those six strikeouts gave Zimmerman a new career-high.
At the plate, Tessa Collins was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of India Mattingly, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Pontiac pushed their record up to 20-8 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Prairie Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 14-18.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Prairie Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. However, it's not like Pontiac struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Prairie Central came up short against Pontiac when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 5-1. Will the Hawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
