Softball Game Preview: Waterloo Cougars vs. Belmont Cardinals

The Waterloo Cougars will take on the Belmont Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Waterloo's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Belmont has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.

It was a proper cat-fight when Waterloo faced off against Wayne County on Monday. The Cougars fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 9-8.

Claire Cooper and Clara Lambert stepped up to the plate in a big way. Cooper scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4, while Lambert scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Sarah Allen, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI.

Meanwhile, Belmont can bid farewell to their nine-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They put the hurt on Biggersville with a sharp 9-3 victory. Considering the Cardinals have won eight matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Britley Hardin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on three hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Brilei Dees was excellent, scoring a run while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.

Belmont's win bumped their record up to 8-10. As for Waterloo, their loss dropped their record down to 18-8.

Belmont's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Waterloo hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. It's a different story for Belmont, though, as they've only averaged .211. Will they be able to contain Waterloo's hitters?

Waterloo was able to grind out a solid victory over Belmont in their previous meeting back in March, winning 6-2. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.