Softball Game Preview: Mountainside Mavericks vs. South Salem Saxons

The Mountainside Mavericks will head out to take on the South Salem Saxons at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Mountainside has four straight victories, South Salem has seven straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Mountainside proved they can win big on Wednesday (they won by eight) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Southridge 5-4.

Jojo Appling spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Aubri Kruhm was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March.

Meanwhile, South Salem fell victim to McNary and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They lost 15-0 to the Celtics.

Mountainside's win bumped their record up to 15-10. As for South Salem, their loss dropped their record down to 3-21.

South Salem's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Mountainside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for South Salem, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 strikeouts. Will Mountainside keep running through batters, or will the Saxons buck the trend?

Mountainside beat South Salem 4-1 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mavericks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.