Softball Game Preview: Hastings Saxons vs. Otsego Bulldogs

The Hastings Saxons are taking a road trip to square off against the Otsego Bulldogs at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Hastings has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with five straight losses, while Otsego will come in with six straight wins.

Hastings fell victim to Harper Creek and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 15-0 to the Beavers, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.

Otsego came out on top against Niles on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Bulldogs walked away with a 9-5 victory over the Vikings. While the Bulldogs didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-7), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Cassie Holland spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Audrey Lingbeek was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. Addy Lucas also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Otsego's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Hastings, they now have a losing record of 4-5.

Hastings might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Otsego in their previous matchup back in May of 2018. Can the Saxons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.