Softball Game Preview: Needles Mustangs vs. Laughlin Cougars

Needles is a perfect 10-0 against Laughlin since May of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. Needles is taking a road trip to square off against Laughlin at 1:00 p.m. Needles is coming into the game hot, having won their last six games.

Needles barely beat Lincoln County the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Needles was the clear victor by a 10-3 margin over Lincoln County on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Mustangs, who have now won six contests by seven runs or more so far this season.

Summer Scott

Hits (Career)

03/28/25 @ Lincoln County	3
03/21/25 vs Awaken Christian	1
03/18/25 @ Pahrump Valley	1
03/15/25 vs East	1
03/15/25 vs Mountain View	1

Summer Scott made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-5. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Edey Ponce was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-6. Scotti Powell was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances.

Needles was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Laughlin faced off against Awaken Christian on Thursday. Laughlin might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 10-0 to Awaken Christian, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The loss continues a trend for the Cougars in their meetings with the Lions: they've now lost four in a row.

Needles pushed their record up to 11-5 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for Laughlin, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-4.

Needles took their victory against Laughlin in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 19-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Needles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.