Softball Game Preview: Mainland Regional Mustangs vs. St. Joseph Wildcats

Mainland Regional hasn't had much luck against St. Joseph recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Mustangs will venture away from home to face off against the Wildcats at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Mainland Regional was handed a 11-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Oakcrest, sneaking past 3-2. The victory was some much needed relief for the Mustangs as it spelled an end to their six-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph got themselves on the board against Absegami on Thursday, but Absegami never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over the Braves. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by seven runs or more this season.

Elaina Portalatin made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alaina Dorsey, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Riley Hunter also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.

St. Joseph is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for Mainland Regional, the victory was their first on the road , bumping their record up to 2-8.

Mainland Regional might still be hurting after the 9-1 loss they got from St. Joseph when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Mustangs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.