Softball Game Preview: Newton Local Indians vs. Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks

The Newton Local Indians are taking a road trip to take on the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Newton Local was handed a seven-run defeat in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 victory over Fort Recovery. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win Newton Local has posted since March 28, 2024.

Meanwhile, Mississinawa Valley waltzed into their game on Monday with three straight wins... but they left with four. Everything went their way against the Indians as they made off with an 11-3 victory. The Blackhawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by six runs or more this season.

Ella Godfrey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on two hits and racked up 18 Ks. Those 18 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for her.

At the plate, Gentry Newbauer and Cora Hoggatt did most of the damage at the plate: Newbauer scored two runs while going 3-for-4, while Hoggatt scored two runs while going 2-for-4. Carden Fritz also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Mississinawa Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .438. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Union City only posted a batting average of .125.

Newton Local pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Mississinawa Valley, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Newton Local might still be hurting after the 9-3 loss they got from Mississinawa Valley in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Indians avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.