Softball Game Preview: Philomath Warriors vs. Newport Cubs

Philomath has gone 8-2 against Newport recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Warriors will host the Cubs at 5:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Philomath is headed into Wednesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Monday. They lost 21-9 to Cascade.

Hailey Smith was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, Newport was a bit more limited in their matchup on Monday. They came up short against Sweet Home, falling 13-1. The Cubs haven't had much luck with the Huskies recently, as the team has come up short the last six times they've met.

Ivy Ruddiman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple and one double. Emry Belloni also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Philomath's loss dropped their record down to 9-11. As for Newport, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-17.

Newport's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Philomath has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.6 hits per game. It's a different story for Newport, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Philomath's sizable advantage in that area, the Cubs will need to find a way to close that gap.

Philomath came out on top in a nail-biter against Newport when the teams last played two weeks ago, sneaking past 9-8. Will the Warriors repeat their success, or do the Cubs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.