The Defiance Bulldogs will take on the Elmwood Royals at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Defiance had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt Archbold on Thursday. Defiance put the hurt on Archbold with a sharp 10-4 win.
Jordyn Busch
| 03/27/25 vs Archbold | 8 |
| 05/04/24 @ Clay | 1 |
| 04/25/24 vs Findlay | 4 |
| 04/18/24 vs Emmanuel Christian | 9 |
Jordyn Busch spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Defiance got a massive performance out of Bella Gutierrez, who scored three runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. Those three stolen bases gave Gutierrez a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Khloe Siler, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Elmwood ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They skirted past Oak Harbor 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Royals have posted since April 13, 2024.
Leah Allison was incredible, scoring a run while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Bristol Evans, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Elmwood hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts every time they've taken the field this season.
Defiance pushed their record up to 2-0 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.7 runs over those games. As for Elmwood, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
Defiance took their win against Elmwood when the teams last played back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0. Does Defiance have another victory up their sleeve, or will Elmwood turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
