Softball Game Preview: Pottsville Crimson Tide vs. Pine Grove Cardinals

Pottsville hasn't had much luck against Pine Grove recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Crimson Tide are taking a road trip to square off against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Pottsville will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Monday, then bounced right back against Our Lady of Lourdes Regional on Tuesday. The Crimson Tide blew past the Red Raiders 15-9.

Cadence Borger was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Marlee Templeton also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.

Pottsville hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Pine Grove entered their tilt with Tamaqua on Tuesday with seven consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with eight. They were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over the Blue Raiders.

The team relied heavily on Madison Shiffer, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Callee Leffler was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.

Pottsville is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 7-6 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Pine Grove, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-1.

Pottsville suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Pine Grove when the teams last played on April 1st. Can the Crimson Tide avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.