Softball Preview: Mineral Ridge Rams vs. Western Reserve Blue Devils
Mineral Ridge is 1-7 against Western Reserve since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Mineral Ridge Rams will be playing in front of their home fans against the Western Reserve Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Last Thursday, Mineral Ridge got the win against Springfield by a conclusive 15-4.
Lily Merolillo made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Merolillo was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Laney Rigley, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs, five RBI, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Aaliyah Wall, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI.
Meanwhile, Western Reserve waltzed into their matchup on Thursday with seven straight wins... but they left with eight. They put the hurt on the Vikings with a sharp 13-3 win.
Like Mineral Ridge, Western Reserve also got a great game from a two-way player: Katie Byers. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Byers was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Sophia Reigle was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Reigle is crushing it when it comes to RBI: she's brought in at least three every time she's taken the field this season. Allison Jones was another key contributor, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
Mineral Ridge's victory bumped their record up to 11-6. As for Western Reserve, they pushed their record up to 10-3 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home.
Mineral Ridge suffered a grim 17-7 defeat to Western Reserve in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Will Mineral Ridge have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
