Softball Game Preview: Oregon City Pioneers vs. Tigard Tigers

The Oregon City Pioneers are taking a road trip to challenge the Tigard Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Oregon City's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Tigard's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Oregon City is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering West Linn just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Lions by a score of 2-1. Having soared to a lofty 13 runs in the game before, the Pioneers couldn't push the score so high this time.

Ellie Joseph spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Oregon City saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Chloe Stromme, who went 1-for-3 with one double.

Meanwhile, Tigard came tearing into Friday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They beat the Lakers by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 7-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Tigers have posted against the Lakers since May 1, 2023.

Tigard's win bumped their record up to 12-10. As for Oregon City, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-12.

Oregon City came out on top in a nail-biter against Tigard in their previous meeting last Wednesday, sneaking past 2-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Pioneers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.