Softball Game Preview: Miller Cardinals vs. Marionville Comets

The Miller Cardinals will head out to face off against the Marionville Comets at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Miller is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Missouri's top teams: Lockwood, who was ranked 15th at the time (Miller was ranked 22nd). The Cardinals put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 10-3 victory on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Cardinals.

Meanwhile, Marionville gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over Pleasant Hope. The Comets haven't had any issues with the Pirates recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Ashlin Carr made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.

In other batting news, Annaliyah Ghan was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Pearla Brown was another key player, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and one stolen base.

Marionville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.

Miller's victory was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Marionville, their record now sits at 6-4.

Miller might still be hurting after the 12-1 loss they got from Marionville in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.