Softball Game Preview: Ava Bears vs. Salem Tigers

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Previous 4 Games

03/28/26 - Away	9-4 W
05/05/25 - Home	9-2 W
04/26/25 - Home	11-1 W
04/30/24 - Away	17-1 W

Ava is a perfect 4-0 against Salem since April of 2024 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Bears are taking a road trip to challenge the Tigers at 4:30 p.m. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Salem will be up against a hot Ava team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Bears were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Seymour on Tuesday. The contest marked the Bears' most dominant win of the season so far.

Meanwhile, Salem won against Stoutland on Monday with 13 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Tigers beat Potosi by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 13-6. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won four games by seven runs or more so far this season.

Alaina Norris spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up 11 Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Maddie Mercer, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and two stolen bases. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Shaylee Thomas, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Salem lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in April of 2025.

Salem's record is now 4-2. As for Ava, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Ava beat Salem 9-4 in their previous matchup on Saturday. Do the Bears have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.