Softball Game Preview: Belleville West Maroons vs. Belleville East Lancers

Belleville West hasn't had much luck against Belleville East recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Maroons will square off against the Lancers at 4:30 p.m. Belleville West has given up an average of 7.6 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Belleville West had taken Mascoutah down for two straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Friday. The Maroons lost 12-3 to the Indians.

Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, Belleville East made sure to put some runs up on the board against Collinsville on Thursday. The Lancers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Kahoks an 18-0 shutout. Considering the Lancers have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Belleville East has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Belleville West, their loss dropped their record down to 7-6.

Belleville West might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Belleville East in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Maroons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.