Softball Game Preview: Parkersburg Big Reds vs. St. Marys Blue Devils

The Parkersburg Big Reds will take on the St. Marys Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Neither of those teams managed to put together many runs in their previous contests, so the offenses might be a little more motivated than usual.

Wednesday just wasn't the day for Parkersburg's offense. They came up short against St. Albans on Wednesday, falling 12-0. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Meanwhile, St. Marys entered their tilt with Ravenswood on Tuesday with eight consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with nine. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 2-1 W against the Red Devils.

Cali Masters made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one double.

St. Marys' win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Parkersburg, they have been struggling recently as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-9 record this season.

Parkersburg might still be hurting after the 14-4 loss they got from St. Marys in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Big Reds avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.