Softball Game Preview: Chittenango Bears vs. Marcellus Mustangs

By Team Reports May 15, 2025, 11:13pm

Softball Preview: Chittenango Bears vs. Marcellus Mustangs

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Chittenango has won eight straight games at home, while Marcellus has won eight straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Sunday. The Bears will welcome the Mustangs at 6:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Chittenango 1.8, Marcellus 3.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Chittenango is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Whitesboro just ended the team's 13-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell 5-2 to the Warriors. The Bears were red-hot at the plate heading into the contest (they scored no less than ten runs in the four games prior), but the Warriors' pitcher proved too tough.

Chittenango saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Danica Oppenheimer, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Marcellus and Westhill have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Thursday. The Mustangs walked away with an 8-4 win over the Warriors. The Mustangs haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.

Kendall LaManche made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jordan O'Connor, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Mariah Kolm was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Marcellus' win bumped their record up to 10-2-1. As for Chittenango, their loss dropped their record down to 13-2.

Chittenango's speedy runners might be the difference in Sunday's matchup. The Bears have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Marcellus, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Chittenango continue to outrun the ball?

Chittenango took their victory against Marcellus in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 17-1 score. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps