Softball Game Preview: Tuscarawas Central Catholic Saints vs. Strasburg-Franklin Tigers

Tuscarawas Central Catholic hasn't had much luck against Strasburg-Franklin recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Saints will head out on the road to take on the Tigers at 5:00 p.m.

Tuscarawas Central Catholic's last matchup with Minerva could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's game on Saturday. The Saints came up short against the Lions, falling 12-0. The Saints have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Meanwhile, Strasburg-Franklin had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. Everything went their way against the Falcons as they made off with a 9-2 victory. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by six runs or more this season.

Miley Reifenschneider spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on three hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Olivia Spidell was a standout: she went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ella Gilkerson, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Strasburg-Franklin kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in four consecutive matches.

Strasburg-Franklin pushed their record up to 14-8 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Tuscarawas Central Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-13.

Tuscarawas Central Catholic couldn't quite get it done against Strasburg-Franklin in their previous matchup back in April as they fell 5-1. Can the Saints avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.