Softball Game Preview: Mars Fightin' Planets vs. Plum Mustangs

The Mars Fightin' Planets will take on the Plum Mustangs at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Mars has struggled recently with four defeats in a row, while Plum will arrive with three straight wins.

Mars fell victim to Shaler Area and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They lost 16-0 to the Titans.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Plum). They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 18-16 victory over New Castle on Monday. That's two games straight that the Mustangs have won by exactly two runs.

Liana Yusko was a standout: she scored four runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Danielle Pici, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and one double while going 3-for-5.

Plum lost a few balls and finished the game with six home runs. They launched three more home runs than New Castle's also-impressive total of three.

Plum's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for Mars, their loss dropped their record down to 2-10.

Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Mars hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Plum struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.

Mars suffered a grim 12-3 defeat to Plum in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Will the Fightin' Planets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.