Softball Game Preview: New Trier Trevians vs. Loyola Academy Ramblers

New Trier is 1-9 against Loyola Academy since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Trevians will welcome the Ramblers at 4:30 p.m. New Trier's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Loyola Academy's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

New Trier took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Schaumburg, sneaking past 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Trevians have posted since April 22nd.

Meanwhile, Loyola Academy came tearing into Friday's game with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Huskies by a score of 7-2.

Hunter Lewis made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 17 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 18 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emilia Bartholomew, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and four RBI.

Loyola Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.3 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 10.4.

Loyola Academy's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 14-15. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for New Trier, their victory bumped their record up to 16-7.

New Trier suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Loyola Academy in their previous meeting last Saturday. Can the Trevians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.