Softball Game Preview: Mabel-Canton Cougars vs. Schaeffer Academy Lions

Mabel-Canton has gone a perfect 10-0 against Schaeffer Academy recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Cougars will head out to square off against the Lions at 4:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Mabel-Canton has five straight victories, Schaeffer Academy has 21 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Mabel-Canton is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 23-5 margin over Lyle/Pacelli on Tuesday. With that win, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 7.3 runs per game.

Kira Snyder was a standout: she went 4-for-5 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Lainey Hosting was another key player, going 2-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Mabel-Canton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.2 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matches they've averaged 10.4.

Meanwhile, Tuesday just wasn't the day for Schaeffer Academy's offense. They came up short against Southland on Tuesday, falling 17-0.

Mabel-Canton pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.7 runs over those games. As for Schaeffer Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 0-12.

Mabel-Canton took their victory against Schaeffer Academy in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 18-2 score. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.