Softball Game Preview: Medford Raiders vs. Phillips Loggers

The Medford Raiders are taking a road trip to challenge the Phillips Loggers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.

Medford's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 17-0 margin over Northland Pines. The result was nothing new for the Raiders, who have now won five games by eight runs or more so far this season.

Rylee Hraby made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Hraby was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two triples, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most triples she has posted since back in April of 2024.

In other batting news, Medford got a massive performance out of Zayleah Leonhardt, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Finley Arndt, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Medford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Phillips). They blew past Newman 12-1 on Friday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Loggers with their most commanding win of the season.

Medford is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Phillips, they now have a winning record of 3-2.

Medford couldn't quite get it done against Phillips in their previous meeting back in May of 2022 as they fell 3-0. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.