Softball Game Preview: Trinity Lutheran Cougars vs. South Ripley Raiders

The Trinity Lutheran Cougars will head out to square off against the South Ripley Raiders at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Trinity Lutheran is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak.

Trinity Lutheran fell victim to Henryville and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Hornets. The match marked the first time this season in which the Cougars were not able to get on the board.

Grace Lance

Batters Struck Out

04/22/25 vs Henryville	5
04/15/25 vs Indianapolis Lutheran	8
04/08/25 vs Providence	7
04/07/25 @ Orleans	9
04/01/25 vs South Decatur	11

Grace Lance spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.

At the plate, Trinity Lutheran saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Marissa Baker, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base. Baker 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.

Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for South Ripley's offense. They came up short against Rising Sun on Wednesday, falling 6-0. The Raiders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

South Ripley also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Ellie Combs gave up five earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits.

South Ripley's loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 2-8. As for Trinity Lutheran, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Trinity Lutheran took their victory against South Ripley when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 11-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.