Softball Game Preview: Ridgeview Ravens vs. Bend Lava Bears

Ridgeview hasn't had much luck against Bend recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Ravens are taking a road trip to challenge the Lava Bears at 4:30 p.m. Ridgeview will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.

Ridgeview gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 victory over Caldera. The game was the first time the Ravens have beaten Caldera on their field since April 19, 2023.

Bend came out on top against Redmond on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run sixth inning. The Lava Bears beat the Panthers by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 15-3. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Lava Bears.

Janelle Guiney made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Guiney was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.

In other batting news, Cassidy Sandgren was a standout: she went 4-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Isabella Lauerman, who went 2-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI.

Bend kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in 12 consecutive games.

Ridgeview's win was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Bend, they now have a winning record of 9-8-1.

Everything went Ridgeview's way against Bend in their previous meeting two weeks ago, as Ridgeview made off with an 8-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ravens since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.