Softball Game Preview: Boardman Spartans vs. Springfield Blue Devils

The Boardman Spartans will square off against the Springfield Blue Devils at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Boardman is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last nine games.

Boardman is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Ohio's top teams: Riverside, who was ranked eighth at the time (Boardman was ranked ninth). The Spartans walked away with a 4-0 victory over the Beavers on Wednesday.

Boardman's win was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ellie Wymer, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.

Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Springfield had no trouble coming through when it counted. They skirted past Madison Comprehensive 6-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Blue Devils.

Boardman's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 26-4. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Springfield, their record now sits at 22-9.

Boardman might still be hurting after the 19-6 loss they got from Springfield in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.