Softball Game Preview: Cleveland Warriors vs. Ida B. Wells Guardians

Cleveland and Ida B. Wells are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Warriors will welcome the Guardians at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

On Friday, Cleveland beat Franklin 7-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Warriors.

Jillian Lee was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over 6.2 innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in May of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.

In other batting news, Kailen Steffek and Vivian Schroedel did most of the damage at the plate: Steffek went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three RBI, while Schroedel scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. That's the most hits Steffek has posted since back in May of 2024. Sara Cass was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.

Meanwhile, Ida B. Wells had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 2-1 W against the Generals. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

The team relied heavily on Kai Wisher, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.

Cleveland's win bumped their record up to 3-8. As for Ida B. Wells, they now have a winning record of 6-5.

Cleveland came up short against Ida B. Wells in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 8-3. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.