File photo by Caleb Brinton Fairmont's catcher Ilana Moeller fouls off a pitch in a Big South Conference softball game against Worthington on Tuesday.

FAIRMONT–After inconsistent weather canceled the Fairmont Cardinals’ softball doubleheader against Pipestone on Wednesday, the Cardinals will focus on their upcoming rivalry game against Jackson County Central Huskies on Monday.

“Jackson’s been pretty good the last few years, for sure,” said Fairmont head coach Cory Hainy.

“They’ve got two very good pitchers that throw pretty hard, so we focused on going a little more

speed off the pitching machine today.”

In addition to being solid defensively, the Huskies will also put pressure on a team offensively, something the Cardinals will need to be ready for.

“They’re pretty aggressive on the base paths, and they’ve got some slappers and some bunters, so we worked on some defense for that today, too,” said Hainy.

The Huskies are undefeated this season, and after finishing 20-7 last season and only losing one game at home, they will be a challenge for the Cardinals, who are currently 4-1 and are on the hunt to return to the win column.

“You want to get right back on the horse,” said Hainy. “We didn’t play the way we wanted to against Worthington. So I think we’re anxious to get back out there and go at it again.”

The Huskies defeated Fairmont twice last season, first 13-0, then 6-2. Still, Hainy doesn’t believe the Huskies’ home-field advantage will be a factor.

“I don’t know that it affects it too much. Because it’s so close, we’ve all played. They’ve played here a lot, we’ve played there a lot, whether it’s the summertime or springtime,” said Hainy. “So I think we’re pretty used to both fields. I don’t think that should affect things too much. Obviously, being the home team is nice, you always get the last at bat, but beyond that, I don’t think that should affect things too much.”

The Cardinals have not been on the road much this season, with four of their five games being at home. The one road game was a solid showing by Fairmont on April 8 when they defeated the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers 27-2.

Should the Cardinals avoid the same defensive issues they faced against Worthington which led to a six run sixth inning in the 7-4 loss last Tuesday, they have a shot at taking the victory. The pitching staff and overall defensive play have the potential to come home with a win and take the series lead for this season.

The Cardinals head to Jackson for a 5:30 p.m. game Monday.