Softball Game Preview: St. John Fighting Herald vs. Grand Valley Mustangs

The St. John Fighting Herald will head out to take on the Grand Valley Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. St. John has given up an average of 8.8 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

St. John came into their game on Monday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against Maplewood, falling 11-1.

St. John saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Maddie Holler, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Nadia Lagoa also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Grand Valley never got on the board in their matchup on Wednesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Lordstown last Monday. They were the clear victors by a 25-2 margin over the Red Devils. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Mustangs' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.

Ady Kovacic made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Kovacic was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring five runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.

In other batting news, Kaityln Baumann and Lydia Prah did most of the damage at the plate: Baumann scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances, while Prah scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. Violet Morse was another key player, scoring three runs while going 3-for-4.

Grand Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .708. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

St. John's loss dropped their record down to 1-3. As for Grand Valley, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.

St. John took their win against Grand Valley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 10-3 score. Will the Fighting Herald repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.