Softball Game Preview: Jefferson Cougars vs. Washington Patriots

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Previous Games

05/08/25 - Home	1-4 L
05/02/25 - Away	11-2 W
03/28/25 - Home	1-0 W
05/07/24 - Away	3-4 L
05/04/24 - Away	4-3 W
+ 5 more games

Jefferson and Washington are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2023, but likely not for long. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Jefferson 2.5, Washington 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Jefferson is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Musselman an 8-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won 11 matches by eight runs or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Washington faced Jefferson in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Patriots came out on top against the Cougars by a score of 4-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Patriots.

Zoe Kesterson was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over 5.1 innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple was her first of the season.

Kesterson wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Chloe Constantino, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

Jefferson is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.1 runs over those games. As for Washington, their victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-4.

Jefferson came up short against Washington in their previous matchup on Thursday, falling 4-1. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.