Softball Game Preview: Madison Cubs vs. South Ripley Raiders

The Madison Cubs will venture away from home to face off against the South Ripley Raiders at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Madison is coming into the matchup on a four-game losing streak.

The home team had won the previous four meetings between Madison and Jeffersonville, and Jeffersonville kept the tradition alive. The Cubs took an 8-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Red Devils on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask South Ripley). They were the clear victors by a 16-5 margin over Switzerland County on Tuesday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Ellie Combs made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, South Ripley got a massive performance out of Zoe Clowers, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Those three hits gave Clowers a new career-high. Ava Bastin was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.

South Ripley hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive games.

Madison's loss dropped their record down to 2-4. As for South Ripley, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.

Everything went Madison's way against South Ripley in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Madison made off with a 10-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cubs since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.