Softball Game Preview: Mattoon Greenwave vs. Salem Wildcats

vs

Previous Games

05/15/24 - Home	0-7 L
04/25/17 - Away	12-2 W
04/25/17 - Away	12-1 W
04/23/16 - Home	8-0 W
04/23/16 - Home	9-1 W
+ 2 more games

Mattoon has gone 6-1 against Salem recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Wednesday. The Greenwave will venture away from home to face off against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.

Mattoon fell victim to Casey-Westfield and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They lost 10-0 to the Warriors. The Greenwave have struggled against the Warriors recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.

Meanwhile, Salem has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.33 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Monday. They came up short against Marion, falling 15-8.

Jaelyn Keller was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Marah Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

Mattoon's loss dropped their record down to 12-15. As for Salem, their defeat dropped their record down to 20-4.

Mattoon's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's match. The Greenwave have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Salem, though, as they've been averaging only 0.6 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Mattoon continue to outrun the ball?

Mattoon suffered a grim 7-0 defeat to Salem in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Greenwave avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.