Softball Game Preview: Hoover Vikings vs. Magnificat Blue Streaks

The Hoover Vikings will challenge the Magnificat Blue Streaks at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Hoover hasn't scored more than two runs for four games straight, a trend the squad is eager to reverse.

Hoover's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Green 2-0. The win was some much needed relief for the Vikings as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, Magnificat had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They put the hurt on the Cougars with a sharp 10-3 victory. The Blue Streaks not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since May 9th (when they won 16-1).

Erin Carney spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on eight hits and racked up eight Ks.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Vanessa Roth, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted over her last 12 games. Cami Riordan was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.

Magnificat's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-16. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Hoover, their win bumped their record up to 12-10.