Softball Game Preview: Kutztown Cougars vs. Palisades Pirates

The Kutztown Cougars are taking a road trip to square off against the Palisades Pirates at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.

Last Friday, Kutztown came up short against Northampton and fell 11-8. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Konkrete Kids recently, as the team has come up short the last seven times they've met.

Felicia Oldt and Sadie Berger stepped up to the plate in a big way. Oldt scored a run while going 3-for-3, while Berger scored three runs while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayden Gehris, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Meanwhile, Palisades had just enough and edged out Pen Argyl 7-6 on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Green Knights: they've now won five in a row.

Karlye Teman spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up 16 Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Catie Russo, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Aubrey Boushell, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Palisades' victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 2-0. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Kutztown, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.

Kutztown took their victory against Palisades in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 9-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for Kutztown since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.