Softball Game Preview: Lutheran West Longhorns vs. Rocky River Pirates

The Lutheran West Longhorns will face off against the Rocky River Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lutheran West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.2 runs per game this season.

Having struggled with four losses in a row, Lutheran West turned things around against Brooklyn on Tuesday. They came out on top against the Hurricanes by a score of 16-1 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Longhorns considering their one-run performance the game before.

Gabriella 'Gabi' List made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. List was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one run.

In other batting news, Lutheran West got a massive performance out of Emerson 'Emmy' Hayes, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four stolen bases, four runs, and one double. That's the most stolen bases Hayes has posted since back in April. Peyton Steinbrenner was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs.

Meanwhile, Rocky River was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They fell 7-2 to North Olmsted.

Rocky River's loss dropped their record down to 10-8. As for Lutheran West, the victory got them back to even at 9-9.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Lutheran West has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 11.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rocky River struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Lutheran West might still be hurting after the 11-2 defeat they got from Rocky River when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Longhorns avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.