Softball Game Preview: McClain Tigers vs. Washington Blue Lions

The McClain Tigers will take on the Washington Blue Lions at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.

McClain fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Fairfield on Saturday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Lions by a score of 9-8. The defeat continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Lions: they've now lost five in a row.

McClain got a massive performance out of Leah Lovett, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one double. That double marked the first that Lovett has hit this season. Olivia Stegbauer was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Washington). They blew past East Clinton 12-1 on Friday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Blue Lions considering their two-run performance the contest before.

Hailey Lemaster was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Trinity Moore, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.

Washington always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .548. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.

McClain's loss dropped their record down to 2-6. As for Washington, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-10.

McClain got the 'W' when the teams last played back in April of 2025 against Washington by a conclusive 19-1 score. Will the Tigers repeat their success, or do the Blue Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.