Softball Preview: Cumberland Pirates vs. Mattoon Greenwave
The Cumberland Pirates will head out on the road to challenge the Mattoon Greenwave at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Cumberland is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
Cumberland scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Friday. They blew past Blue Ridge 18-8. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Cumberland.
Cumberland got a massive performance out of Ashton Tolen, who went 3-for-3 with four runs, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Tolen is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now stolen at least one in the last four games she's played. Libby McGinnis was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Mattoon was not able to break out of their rough patch last Saturday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They fell just short of Charleston by a score of 11-9.
Kynlee McGraw was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of McKinnley Cowger, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and a double.
Cumberland's victory ended a six-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 4-7. As for Mattoon, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.
Mattoon's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Cumberland has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Mattoon, though, as they've been averaging 10.4. Given Cumberland's sizable advantage in that area, Mattoon will need to find a way to close that gap.
Cumberland couldn't quite finish off Mattoon in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 and fell 7-5. Can Cumberland avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
