Softball Game Preview: Marquette Crusaders vs. Pontiac Indians

The Marquette Crusaders will head out on the road to square off against the Pontiac Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Marquette is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.4 runs per game this season.

Marquette's last matchup with Seneca could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's match on Tuesday. The Crusaders lost 11-1 to the Fighting Irish. The defeat continues a trend for the Crusaders in their meetings with the Fighting Irish: they've now lost four in a row.

Kelsey Cuchra made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one home run.

Bloomington Central Catholic typically has all the answers at home, but on Monday Pontiac proved too difficult a challenge. They blew past the Saints 9-1. Considering the Indians have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Elena Krause made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nevaeh Vogt, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run. India Mattingly was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one run and one RBI.

The victory made it two in a row for Pontiac and bumps their season record up to 14-5. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Marquette, their loss dropped their record down to 18-5.

Marquette came out on top in a nail-biter against Pontiac in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 8-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.