Softball Game Preview: Santiam Wolverines vs. Regis Rams

The Santiam Wolverines will head out to challenge the Regis Rams at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

The home team had won the previous three meetings between Santiam and Gervais, and Santiam kept the tradition alive. The Wolverines blew past the Cougars 16-5 on Tuesday. The Wolverines haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Meanwhile, Regis came tearing into Friday's contest with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 14-3 victory. 14 seems to be a good number for the Rams as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.

Addie Bishop made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three doubles, and four RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Olivia Adams was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one run. Maddie Hendricks was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.

Regis kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in nine consecutive games.

Regis' victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.0 runs over those games. As for Santiam, their record is now 17-10.

Santiam couldn't quite finish off Regis in their previous meeting on May 2nd and fell 6-4. Can the Wolverines avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.