Softball Game Preview: Crystal Lake Central Tigers vs. McHenry Warriors

The Crystal Lake Central Tigers will head out on the road to take on the McHenry Warriors at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

While Crystal Lake Central's victory against Crystal Lake South wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tigers won by a run and slipped past the Gators 7-6. The win was nothing new for the Tigers as they're now sitting on four straight.

Meanwhile, McHenry never let their opponents score on Tuesday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Central 1-0. The win was familiar territory for the Warriors, who have now won three matches in a row.

The result came thanks to Natalie Bender's shutout, as she gave up just two hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, McHenry saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Danica McCarthy, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run. McCarthy is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played.

McHenry's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-13. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Crystal Lake Central, their victory bumped their record up to 16-5.

Crystal Lake Central skirted past McHenry 9-7 in their previous matchup two weeks ago. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.