The Boardman Spartans will face off against the Champion Golden Flashes at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Boardman comes in on six and Champion on nine.
On Thursday, Boardman made easy work of Howland and carried off a 9-3 win. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
Tori Strines made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. Strines was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kenzie Cherne, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024. Alex Ward was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Champion got the win against Southeast on Thursday by a conclusive 13-1. The Golden Flashes are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the seventh contest they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Like Boardman, Champion also got a great game from a two-way player: Gabrielle Gradishar. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. Gradishar has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single earned run in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Jonna Strock was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Sam Strock, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs.
Champion always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .517. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Southeast only posted an OBP of .118.
Champion pushed their record up to 9-0 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.2 runs on average over those games. As for Boardman, their record is now 12-2.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Boardman hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Champion struggles in that department as they've averaged .397. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
