The Buckley Bears will challenge the Elk Rapids Elks at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Buckley will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
Buckley barely beat Manton the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Bears were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over the Rangers on Thursday. The Bears might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by six runs or more this season.
Maddi Sladek
| 05/22/25 vs Manton | 3 |
| 05/20/25 @ Onekama | 2 |
| 05/19/25 vs Suttons Bay | 2 |
| 05/06/25 vs Glen Lake | 2 |
| 05/08/25 @ Traverse City Christian | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Maddi Sladek, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddie Chilson, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Buckley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Elk Rapids fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Traverse City Central on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 8-7.
Coraline Rainey put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Rainey was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Brooke Fluty made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. Rhielynn Skrocki was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Buckley's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Elk Rapids, their loss ended an 11-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 26-5.
Tuesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Buckley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .446. However, it's not like Elk Rapids struggles in that department as they've averaged .474. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
