Softball Game Preview: Marion Wildcats vs. Belleville West Maroons

The Marion Wildcats will take on the Belleville West Maroons at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Marion's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Belleville West's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Marion is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering Centralia just ended the team's eight-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Orphans by a score of 3-2.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Belleville West). They put the hurt on Highland with a sharp 20-6 win on Wednesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Maroons considering their two-run performance the contest before.

Taylar McCaster and Daijah Jackson did most of the damage at the plate: McCaster went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI, while Jackson went 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI. Those three hits gave McCaster a new career-high. Caleigh Dashner was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three runs and three RBI.

Belleville West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .659. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Highland only posted an OBP of .296.

Belleville West has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 15-14 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.4 runs over those games. As for Marion, their loss dropped their record down to 22-7.

Marion took their win against Belleville West in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 11-4 score. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Maroons turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.