Softball Game Preview: Santa Fe Trail Chargers vs. Iola Mustangs

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Previous Games

05/07/24 - Home	15-0 W
05/07/24 - Home	9-0 W
05/09/23 - Away	6-0 W
05/10/22 - Home	8-1 W
05/10/22 - Home	8-0 W
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Santa Fe Trail has gone a perfect 10-0 against Iola recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Chargers will take on the Mustangs at 4:30 p.m. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Santa Fe Trail sitting on nine straight wins and Iola on eight.

Santa Fe Trail's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They put the hurt on Anderson County with a sharp 7-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Chargers, who have now won 12 games by six runs or more so far this season.

The result came thanks to Reese Black's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Sydnee Sleichter, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April. Kendall Baird also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Santa Fe Trail kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in nine consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Iola was not the first on the board on Tuesday, but they got there more often. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Wellsville 5-4. The five-run effort marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Iola's victory was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 14.6 runs this season. As for Santa Fe Trail, their record now sits at 21-3.

Santa Fe Trail took their victory against Iola in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.