Softball Game Preview: Metamora Redbirds vs. Pontiac Indians

Metamora hasn't had much luck against Pontiac recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Redbirds will take on the Indians at 4:30 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Metamora is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Dunlap a 2-0 shutout. The win was nothing new for the Redbirds as they're now sitting on four straight.

Meanwhile, Pontiac waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Panthers.

Elena Krause was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 17 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three stolen bases, and two runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on India Mattingly, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.

Metamora's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 28-7. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Pontiac, their record is now 25-9.

Metamora couldn't quite finish off Pontiac in their previous meeting back in March and fell 3-1. Can the Redbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.