Maloney hasn't had much luck against Southington recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Spartans are taking a road trip to challenge the Blue Knights at 6:00 p.m. Southington took a loss in their last game and will be looking to turn the tables on Maloney, who comes in off a win.
Maloney will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Platt on Thursday. The Spartans were the clear victors by a 16-3 margin over the Panthers. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won five contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Stella Cicero
| 05/08/25 @ Platt | 5 |
| 05/07/25 vs Wethersfield | 11 |
| 04/30/25 @ Avon | 8 |
Stella Cicero made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Jenna Quilty was a standout: she got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, four runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Lacie Volpe, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and five RBI.
Maloney always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .649. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Southington's offense. They fell 4-0 to Cheshire on Thursday. The Blue Knights' defeat signaled the end of their seven-game winning streak.
Southington saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Reece Archer, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base. That stolen base was Archer's first of the season.
Maloney is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Southington, their loss dropped their record down to 8-2.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Maloney hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. However, it's not like Southington struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maloney suffered a grim 15-1 defeat to Southington in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
