Softball Game Preview: Marist Spartans vs. Cottage Grove Lions

Marist is a perfect 10-0 against Cottage Grove since April of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Spartans will square off against the Lions at 3:00 p.m. Marist has given up an average of 11.5 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

On Friday, Marist came up short against Junction City and fell 20-17.

Tizita Martin and Finley Schweigert stepped up to the plate in a big way. Martin went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two doubles, and one run, while Schweigert went 1-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. The team also got some help courtesy of Alyssa Witt, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one run.

Meanwhile, Cottage Grove hadn't done well against Marshfield recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Lions put the hurt on the Pirates with a sharp 10-0 victory. While the Lions didn't have the best season last year (they finished 8-11), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Cottage Grove has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.9 runs over those games. As for Marist, they now have a losing record of 6-7.

Marist took their victory against Cottage Grove when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.