Softball Game Preview: East Newton Patriots vs. Mt. Vernon Mountaineers

East Newton is 1-6 against Mt. Vernon since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Patriots will venture away from home to take on the Mountaineers at 5:00 p.m. East Newton's pitching crew has only allowed 2.1 runs per game this season, so Mt. Vernon's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

While East Newton's win against Marionville wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Patriots sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over the Comets on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Patriots have posted since April 23, 2024.

Mt. Vernon never got on the board in their matchup on Saturday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Pierce City on Monday. They never let the Eagles get on the board and left with a 13-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Mountaineers, who have now won 11 matchups by seven runs or more so far this season.

Cheyenne Bieber made a splash while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.

In other batting news, Rae Downing and Jocelyn Liss did most of the damage at the plate: Downing went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one triple, while Liss went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those two doubles gave Liss a new career-high. Emily Schubert was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4.

Mt. Vernon is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for East Newton, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 5-3.