Softball Preview: Curlew Cougars vs. Almira-Coulee-Hartline Warriors
Curlew is 0-10 against Almira-Coulee-Hartline since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Curlew Cougars will head out on the road to challenge the Almira-Coulee-Hartline Warriors at 2:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Curlew unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Saturday. They wound up on the wrong side of a rough 27-20 walloping at the hands of Republic.
Curlew got a massive performance out of Sarah Strandberg, who got on base in four of her six plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Emma Lena Baker, who went 3-for-6 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Even though they lost, Curlew kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Almira-Coulee-Hartline put the finishing touches on their seventh blowout victory of the season on Saturday. They blew past Wilbur-Creston-Keller 12-3. Almira-Coulee-Hartline's victory was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.
Grace Okamoto made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits (and only one walk). Okamoto was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kady Murray, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. She hasn't dropped below three hits for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Mariah McWalter, who went 2-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and an RBI.
Curlew's loss dropped their record down to 4-3-1. As for Almira-Coulee-Hartline, they pushed their record up to 7-0 with that win, which was their fourth straight at home.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Curlew has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .578. However, it's not like Almira-Coulee-Hartline struggles in that department as they've averaged .708. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Curlew suffered a grim 17-1 defeat to Almira-Coulee-Hartline in their previous matchup back in May of 2022. Can Curlew avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
