Softball Game Preview: Mountain View Yellowjackets vs. Salem Greyhounds

Mountain View is 0-5 against Salem since March of 2023 but things could change on Thursday. The Yellowjackets will host the Greyhounds at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Mountain View took a 11-run defeat the last time they faced off against Cave City, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Yellowjackets had just enough and edged out the Cavemen 3-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Yellowjackets.

Meanwhile, Salem had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Tuesday. They never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 15-0 victory. The Greyhounds' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three games.

Jailyn Strong made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Strong was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, Allison Smith was a standout: she scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Natalie Burk, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.

Salem always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .826. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

Salem pushed their record up to 10-1 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.4 runs on average over those games. As for Mountain View, their win bumped their record up to 4-6.

Mountain View might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from Salem in their previous matchup back in March. Will the Yellowjackets have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.