Softball Game Preview: River Valley Blackhawks vs. Waterloo Pirates

The River Valley Blackhawks will head out on the road to face off against the Waterloo Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.

River Valley fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Dodgeville on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Dodgers by a score of 6-5. Blackhawks fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Dodgers since on Thursday.

Meanwhile, after soaring to 16 runs the game before, Waterloo was a bit more limited in their game on Thursday. They fell just short of Marshall by a score of 4-2.

Ally Schaumann spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits. Those hits were her first of the season.

At the plate, Emma Baumann was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.

River Valley's record is now 0-2. As for Waterloo, their record now sits at 1-3.

River Valley suffered a grim 14-3 defeat to Waterloo in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Blackhawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.