Softball Game Preview: River Valley Blackhawks vs. Prairie du Chien Blackhawks

River Valley will head out to challenge Prairie du Chien at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Having struggled with five losses in a row, River Valley turned things around against Platteville on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Hillmen. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blackhawks have posted against the Hillmen since May 6, 2019.

Prairie du Chien never got on the board in their matchup on Monday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Richland Center on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Hornets with a sharp 10-0 win. Considering the Blackhawks have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Prairie du Chien let Irelynd Cejka and Brecklyn McCumber run wild. Cejka went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while McCumber went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those two RBI gave McCumber a new career-high. Rita Achenbach was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.

River Valley's record now sits at 8-12. As for Prairie du Chien, their record is now 15-6.

River Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against Prairie du Chien when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for River Valley since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.