Softball Game Preview: Union City Bears vs. Cochranton Cardinals

Union City has won four straight games at home, while Cochranton has won four straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Bears will host the Cardinals at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Union City's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Mercyhurst Prep with a sharp 22-0 win. The Bears haven't had any issues with the Lakers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.

Grace Chapman

Runs Batted In (Career)

05/13/25 vs Mercyhurst Prep	6
05/01/25 @ Youngsville	4
04/14/25 vs Youngsville	3
03/27/25 vs Girard	3
05/15/24 vs Mercyhurst Prep	2

Grace Chapman was incredible, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and six RBI. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Swan, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.

Union City hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in six consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Cochranton got the win against Lakeview on Wednesday by a conclusive 15-0.

The team relied heavily on Danielle Hoffman, who fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-2. Reagann McClain was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and one double.

Cochranton's win bumped their record up to 17-1. As for Union City, their victory bumped their record up to 12-4.

Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Union City hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .397. However, it's not like Cochranton struggles in that department as they've averaged .341. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Everything went Union City's way against Cochranton in their previous matchup back in March of 2023, as Union City made off with a 9-1 win. Do the Bears have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cardinals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.