Softball Game Preview: Morris Knolls Golden Eagles vs. Randolph Rams

Morris Knolls has gone 9-1 against Randolph recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Golden Eagles will take on the Rams at 4:00 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Morris Knolls has 11 straight victories, Randolph has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Morris Knolls took a eight-run defeat the last time they faced off against Morris Catholic, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Golden Eagles came out on top in a nail-biter against the Crusaders on Wednesday, sneaking past 3-1.

Meanwhile, Randolph faced Pope John XXIII in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Rams fell just short of Pope John XXIII by a score of 2-1.

Breanna Colburn was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, Randolph saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cassidy Smith, who went 2-for-3 with one double. Elisabeth Latch also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Morris Knolls pushed their record up to 12-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Randolph, their loss dropped their record down to 9-5.

Morris Knolls couldn't quite finish off Randolph in their previous matchup back in April and fell 4-2. Can the Golden Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.