Softball Game Preview: Lathrop Malemutes vs. North Pole Patriots

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Previous Games

05/15/24 - Away	15-5 W
05/09/24 - Away	13-1 W
05/23/23 - Home	5-3 W
05/16/23 - Away	9-7 W
05/08/23 - Away	3-14 L
+ 5 more games

Lathrop and North Pole are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Malemutes will square off against the Patriots on Tuesday. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with six consecutive losses for Lathrop and 15 for North Pole dating back to last season.

Lathrop is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Colony, who was ranked second at the time (Lathrop was ranked 14th). The Malemutes came up short against the Knights on Saturday, falling 16-7.

Kaylee Himes made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Quinnlyn Samson also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.

Meanwhile, North Pole fell victim to Ketchikan and their airtight pitching crew last Friday. They lost 25-0 to the Kings. The game marked the first time this year in which the Patriots were not able to get on the board.

North Pole's defeat dropped their record down to 0-7. As for Lathrop, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.

North Pole's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Lathrop hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. It's a different story for North Pole, though, as they've only averaged .095. Will they be able to contain Lathrop's hitters?

Lathrop took their victory against North Pole when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-5 score. Will the Malemutes repeat their success, or do the Patriots have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.