Softball Game Preview: Melrose Dutchmen vs. Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Tigers

Melrose is 1-9 against Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Dutchmen will venture away from home to challenge the Tigers at 5:00 p.m. Both teams are still undefeated (Melrose has ten wins , while Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta has 12 dating back to last season).

On Tuesday, Melrose got the win against Sauk Centre by a conclusive 8-2. The result was nothing new for the Dutchmen, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Ellie Grieve spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Allie Hoppe, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple. That triple was her first of the season. Jaelyn Mayers was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta). They never let Benson get on the board and left with a 26-0 win on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.

Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta pushed their record up to 11-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Melrose, their record now sits at 10-0.

Melrose might still be hurting after the 9-1 defeat they got from Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Dutchmen avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.