Softball Game Preview: Newport Cubs vs. Cascade Cougars

Newport is 1-9 against Cascade since May of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Cubs will head out to take on the Cougars at 5:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Having struggled with seven defeats in a row, Newport turned things around against Philomath on Wednesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over the Warriors. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Olivia Greenawald spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits and racked up six Ks. She also set a new season-high mark in runs with three.

At the plate, Baby Garrett was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Ivy Wagner, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Cascade posted their closest victory since April 27th on Wednesday. They skirted past Stayton 4-2. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.

Cascade also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Taylor Bays gave up just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up six Ks.

On the hitting side, Cascade saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cassidy Crabtree, who went 3-for-4 with one run.

Newport's record is now 7-24. As for Cascade, their record now sits at 20-5.

Newport might still be hurting after the 10-3 loss they got from Cascade in their previous matchup last Monday. Can the Cubs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.