Softball Game Preview: Clare Pioneers vs. Standish-Sterling Panthers

The Clare Pioneers will take on the Standish-Sterling Panthers on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Clare is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They put the hurt on Farwell with a sharp 18-3 victory. The Pioneers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.

Meanwhile, Standish-Sterling entered their tilt with Michigan Lutheran Seminary on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Cardinals.

Standish-Sterling's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-11. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Clare, their victory bumped their record up to 35-2.

Clare took their win against Standish-Sterling when the teams last played back in May by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.