Softball Game Preview: Dallas Dragons vs. Oregon City Pioneers

The Dallas Dragons will head out on the road to take on the Oregon City Pioneers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Dallas' pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Oregon City's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Dallas proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by ten) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They won by a run and slipped past Central Catholic 11-10. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Dragons, who until this match were averaging 3.5 runs allowed.

Madi Ruman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up eight earned (and two unearned) runs off 12 hits. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ruby Halligan, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Maddi Jones was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Oregon City fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Glencoe on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Crimson Tide by a score of 4-3.

Oregon City saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Callie Arnold, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Dallas is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Oregon City, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-5 record this season.