Softball Game Preview: Upper Lake Cougars vs. Cloverdale Eagles

Upper Lake is 0-3 against Cloverdale since March of 2024 but things could change on Friday. The Cougars will face off against the Eagles at 2:00 p.m.

Upper Lake played against Clear Lake on Thursday and lost via forfeit.

Upper Lake will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Cloverdale extended their winning streak to five on Tuesday. The Eagles' pitcher stepped up to hand Lower Lake an 18-0 shutout. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 11 matchups by nine runs or more this season.

Camryn Bird made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.

In other batting news, Bella Sanchez was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Camryn Donahoo, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.

Cloverdale hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least two batters in four consecutive games.

Cloverdale's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Upper Lake, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-11.

Upper Lake might still be hurting after the 13-3 defeat they got from Cloverdale in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.