Softball Game Preview: New Bern Bears vs. Jacksonville Cardinals

The New Bern Bears will take on the Jacksonville Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. New Bern will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.

While New Bern's win against J.H. Rose wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. New Bern narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past J.H. Rose 4-2. The four-run effort marked the Bears' lowest-scoring game of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Anna Champey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on five hits.

At the plate, New Bern let Madison Game and Bella Colon run wild. Game scored two runs while going 3-for-3, while Colon scored a run while going 2-for-4. That's the most hits Game has posted since back in March of 2024. Kierstyn Darnell also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.

Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Jacksonville's offense. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Richlands on Tuesday.

New Bern's win was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Jacksonville, their loss dropped their record down to 1-5.

Jacksonville's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: New Bern hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. It's a different story for Jacksonville, though, as they've only averaged .249. Will they be able to contain New Bern's hitters?

New Bern came out on top in a nail-biter against Jacksonville in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. Will New Bern repeat their success, or does Jacksonville have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.