Softball Recap: Spooner's Luck Takes a Turn for the Worse on Tuesday

Spooner dropped their record down to 8-4 on Tuesday, which also ended the team's six-game streak of wins. They fell just short of the Northwestern Tigers by a score of 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Rails have suffered against the Tigers since May 2, 2023.

As for Northwestern, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games.

For Northwestern's part, Ellie Peterson made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Peterson has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That stolen base marked the first that she has snagged this season.

In other batting news, Claire Nielsen was excellent, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Lillie Casper also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Spooner will face off against Ladysmith at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Rails are facing the Lumberjacks at the right time seeing as the Lumberjacks are stuck on a nine-game losing streak. As for Northwestern, they will challenge Cameron at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Tigers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Comets have averaged an impressive 9.4 runs per game this season.