Baseball Recap: Mckinley's Luck Changes for the Better on Thursday

McKinley came into Thursday's matchup having lost ten straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They were the clear victors by a 15-7 margin over the Liberty Leopards on Thursday. Considering the Red Dragons' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.

Vincent Dennis

Batters Struck Out (Career)

05/14/26 @ Liberty	8
04/16/26 @ East	6
04/10/26 vs Harding	6
05/07/26 @ South Range	3
03/28/26 vs Champion	2

Vincent Dennis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over 4.1 innings pitched. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. McKinley is undefeated when Dennis posts two or more stolen bases, but 2-17 otherwise.

In other batting news, Brixton Gilmour was a standout: he went 1-for-4 with one home run and two runs. He has become a key player for McKinley: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-16 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Brady Court, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

McKinley lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.

McKinley's victory bumped their record up to 5-17. As for Liberty, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four contests. That's still a better percentage than their 3-18-1 record this season.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. McKinley will be taking part in a tournament against Conneaut at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Liberty, they will look to defend their home field on Saturday against Heartland Christian at 12:00 p.m.