Softball Game Preview: Cumberland Pirates vs. Flora Wolves

The Cumberland Pirates will challenge the Flora Wolves on Saturday. Cumberland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.

Cumberland lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Arcola, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's game. The Pirates put the hurt on the Purple Riders with a sharp 20-10 win on Thursday. The game was the first time the Pirates have beaten the Purple Riders on their field since March 27, 2019.

Mia Holsapple made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and seven unearned) runs off ten hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.

In other batting news, Cumberland got a massive performance out of Lauren Schnepper, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. That's the most doubles Schnepper has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Jude Miller, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.

Cumberland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 15.4.

Meanwhile, Flora won against Teutopolis on Tuesday with two runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Wednesday. The Wolves came out on top in a nail-biter against Farina South Central, sneaking past 2-1. The victory continues a trend for the Wolves in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now won three in a row.

Cumberland is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-9 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Flora, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-5.