The Bay Rockets will head out to square off against the Buckeye Bucks at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Bay hadn't beaten Valley Forge on the road since April 15, 2016 but that history sure didn't bother them on Monday. The Rockets blew past the Patriots 20-7. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Rockets' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Julia Mavis was a standout: she scored four runs while going 3-for-5. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Another player making a difference was Caitie Petersen, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Bay was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .472. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Buckeye gave up the first runs on Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They put the hurt on North Olmsted with a sharp 11-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Bucks, who have now won five games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Kwynn Czerwony made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Kelsey Morano was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3. Juliana Melillo also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Buckeye's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Bay, their victory was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 2-3.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Bay hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like Buckeye struggles in that department as they've averaged .347. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bay came up short against Buckeye in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 6-2. Can the Rockets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
