Softball Game Preview: Albany Cougars vs. San Rafael Bulldogs

The Albany Cougars will face off against the San Rafael Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Albany will be strutting in after a victory while San Rafael will be coming in after a loss.

Albany's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over Hercules. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won six contests by six runs or more so far this season.

The team relied heavily on Aamarah Batieste, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one double, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Sara Snyder, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Meanwhile, San Rafael was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 5-4 heartbreaker at the hands of Archie Williams.

Thomara Drummer put in work no matter where she played. She struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Drummer wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Lila Kim, who went 2-for-3 with one run.

The win made it two in a row for Albany and bumps their season record up to 7-8. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for San Rafael, their loss dropped their record down to 7-10.

Albany suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to San Rafael in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.