Softball Game Preview: Moline Maroons vs. Normal West Wildcats

The Moline Maroons will head out on the road to take on the Normal West Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Moline fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against East Moline United on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Panthers by a score of 8-7.

Emersyn Rasso made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Young, who went 3-for-4 with one run.

Meanwhile, Normal West made easy work of Danville on Thursday and carried off an 11-1 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.

Erika Durham was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Rylee Hollings also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Normal West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .536. The last time their OBP was this high was was before the start of last season.

Moline has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-10 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Normal West, the victory got them back to even at 6-6.

Moline took their win against Normal West in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 6-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Maroons since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.