Softball Game Preview: Straughn Tigers vs. Luverne Tigers

Straughn is 1-7 against Luverne since March of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. We've got a battle between Tigers coming up. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Straughn 3.1, Luverne 3.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Straughn's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They walked away with a 4-0 victory over Excel. The win was some much needed relief for the Tigers as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

The result came thanks to Jaycee Norton's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up eight Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Sophie Pettus, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.

Meanwhile, Luverne came up short against Pike Liberal Arts on Thursday and fell 7-2.

Lacey Kelley spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and six unearned) runs on three hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, Luverne saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kayleigh McCreary, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Straughn now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Luverne, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-3-1.

Straughn was able to grind out a solid victory over Luverne when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 8-5. Does Straughn have another victory up their sleeve, or will Luverne turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.