Softball Game Preview: Blue Earth Buccaneers vs. Fairmont Cardinals

Blue Earth hasn't had much luck against Fairmont recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Buccaneers will venture away from home to take on the Cardinals at 5:30 p.m.

Blue Earth came up short against Windom on Thursday, falling 16-4. The Buccaneers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Blue Earth saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jessi James, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.

Meanwhile, Fairmont gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. Everything went their way against Marshall as they made off with an 11-1 win. The Cardinals not only won on Friday, but they posted their biggest win since April 18, 2024.

Brylee Miller made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out seven over six innings pitched. Miller was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.

In other batting news, Fairmont let Ilana Moeller and Makayla Lowry run wild. Moeller went 2-for-4 with four RBI and two doubles, while Lowry scored three runs while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. What's more, Lowry posted three hits, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Abi Sundeen, who went 3-for-4 with one RBI.

Fairmont always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .541. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Marshall only posted an OBP of .320.

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