Softball Game Preview: Serena Huskers vs. Marquette Crusaders

The Serena Huskers will square off against the Marquette Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Serena took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Ottawa, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Serena's pitcher stepped up to hand Ottawa a 1-0 shutout on Tuesday.

The result came thanks to Maddie Glade's shutout, as she gave up just three hits and racked up seven Ks.

On the hitting side, Serena saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Lanee Cole, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

Meanwhile, Marquette waltzed into their contest on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They put the hurt on the Norsemen with a sharp 17-7 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win the Crusaders have posted against the Norsemen since March 28, 2018.

Marquette got a massive performance out of Kelsey Cuchra, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Hunter Hopkins was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI.

Marquette always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Newark only posted an OBP of .370.

Serena came out on top in a nail-biter against Marquette in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 13-12. Will Serena repeat their success, or does Marquette has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.