Softball Game Preview: Carroll Eagles vs. Long Rebels

The Carroll Eagles will square off against the Long Rebels at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Carroll gave up the first runs last Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victor by a 14-4 margin over Samson. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won five matches by nine runs or more so far this season.

Meanwhile, Long waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They walked away with a 6-3 win over the Purple Cats. Surprisingly, this marked the fourth straight game that the away team has come away the victor.

Anna Claire Free made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-3. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaylie Foster, who went 3-for-4 with one home run. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. H Hughes was another key player, scoring two runs while going 4-for-4.

Long kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in three consecutive games.

Long pushed their record up to 15-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Carroll, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-6-1.

Carroll skirted past Long 7-5 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Does Carroll have another victory up their sleeve, or will Long turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.