The Kirtland Hornets will face off against the Madison Blue Streaks at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Kirtland is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Kirtland barely beat Berkshire the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Hornets were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Badgers on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Hornets, who have now won four games by six runs or more so far this season.
Max Paul tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Luciano Cantini
| 04/16/25 vs Berkshire | 2 |
| 04/09/25 @ Cardinal | 1 |
| 04/18/24 vs Cuyahoga Heights | 1 |
| 04/03/24 vs Cuyahoga Heights | 1 |
| 03/29/24 @ Wickliffe | 1 |
At the plate, Matthew Kahley and Luciano Cantini did most of the damage at the plate: Kahley scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances, while Cantini scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave Cantini a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Jack Turk, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Kirtland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Madison gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Conneaut a 7-0 shutout. The win continues a trend for the Blue Streaks in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won six in a row.
Conneaut's batters probably weren't too happy with Ben Amos, who pitched a no hitter and racked up 17 Ks (he gave up two walks).
On the hitting side, Joey Fioritto was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-2.
Kirtland's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-0. As for Madison, their win bumped their record up to 1-0.
Kirtland skirted past Madison 2-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Blue Streaks have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
