Softball Game Preview: Harrisburg Bulldogs vs. Murphysboro Red Devils

The Harrisburg Bulldogs are taking a road trip to take on the Murphysboro Red Devils at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Harrisburg took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Carmi-White County, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Harrisburg came out on top in a nail-biter against Carmi-White County on Saturday, sneaking past 6-4. The win made it back-to-back victories for Harrisburg.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Murphysboro). They blew past Massac County 15-3 on Saturday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Red Devils considering their two-run performance the matchup before.

Blaire Fox made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). Those 11 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.

In other batting news, Macey Alexander was incredible, going 1-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Cadence Fox also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

Murphysboro kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.

Murphysboro's victory ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-10. As for Harrisburg, their record now sits at 11-3.

Everything went Harrisburg's way against Murphysboro in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Harrisburg made off with an 8-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.