The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face off against the Ooltewah Owls at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Notre Dame has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with five straight losses, while Ooltewah will come in with six straight wins.
Notre Dame fell victim to Silverdale Academy and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They came up short against the Seahawks, falling 9-0. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
While Ooltewah didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They skirted past Marion County 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Owls have posted since April 13, 2024.
Jaeda Tucker was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two doubles, and two RBI.
Tucker wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Savannah Mayse, who went 2-for-3 with one double. That's the most hits Mayse has posted since March 3rd.
Ooltewah was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .312 or higher in seven consecutive matchups.
Ooltewah's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-3. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Notre Dame, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-6.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Notre Dame has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .432. However, it's not like Ooltewah struggles in that department as they've averaged .477. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Notre Dame might still be hurting after the 12-0 loss they got from Ooltewah in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will Notre Dame have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
