Softball Game Preview: Waterloo Tigers vs. Haverling Rams

Waterloo hasn't had much luck against Haverling recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Tigers will head out on the road to challenge the Rams at 5:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Waterloo sitting on three straight victories and Haverling on 12.

On Tuesday, Waterloo made easy work of Aquinas Institute and carried off a 12-5 win. Considering the Tigers have won nine contests by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.

Haverling came out on top against Livonia on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run first inning. The Rams never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory. The Rams are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the 12th game they've won by 6+ runs this season.

The team relied heavily on Caydence Spears, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Makayla Smith, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Haverling kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matchups.

Haverling's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.9 runs on average over those games. As for Waterloo, their record is now 12-7.

Waterloo couldn't quite get it done against Haverling in their previous matchup back in April of 2022 as they fell 5-2. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.