Softball Game Preview: Mechanicville Red Raiders vs. Catholic Central Crusaders

The Mechanicville Red Raiders will head out to square off against the Catholic Central Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Mechanicville is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Corinth a 10-0 shutout. The win was nothing new for the Red Raiders as they're now sitting on three straight.

Paige Rogers made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.

In other batting news, Mechanicville got a massive performance out of Addison Pane, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Kendall Beuchner was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.

Mechanicville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Catholic Central, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 21-0 margin over Watervliet on Tuesday. That looming 21-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Crusaders yet this season.

Catholic Central has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.4 runs over those games. As for Mechanicville, their record now sits at 11-8.