Softball Game Preview: Cranberry Area Berries vs. Reynolds Raiders

The Cranberry Area Berries will head out to square off against the Reynolds Raiders at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Cranberry Area has nine straight victories, Reynolds has six straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Reynolds' hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Cranberry Area hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Berries put the hurt on Karns City with a sharp 10-0 win on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Berries, who have now won nine matchups by nine runs or more so far this season.

Ashylyn McWilliams

Home Runs

04/30/25 vs Karns City	1
04/28/25 vs Moniteau	1
04/25/25 vs Rocky Grove	1

Cranberry Area got a massive performance out of Ashylyn McWilliams, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. McWilliams is on a roll when it comes to home runs, as she's now launched at least one in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Avery Coe, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.

Cranberry Area was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .371 or higher in seven consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Reynolds fell victim to West Middlesex and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 12-0 to the Big Reds.

Cranberry Area's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games. As for Reynolds, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-11.

Cranberry Area was able to grind out a solid victory over Reynolds in their previous meeting back in May of 2016, winning 3-0. Will the Berries repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.