The Speedway Sparkplugs will head out to challenge the Triton Central Tigers at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Speedway has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with three straight losses, while Triton Central will come in with seven straight victories.
Roncalli hit Speedway with a seven-run sixth inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Sparkplugs lost 15-1 to the Royals.
Mallory Short was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Triton Central made easy work of Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter on Tuesday and carried off a 15-4 win. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won ten contests by eight runs or more so far this season.
Madi Peterson spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Triton Central got a massive performance out of Ashlyn Hittle, who fired off two home runs, three RBI, and one stolen base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. That's the most RBI Hittle has posted over her last 12 games. Makinah Noel was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Triton Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter only posted an OBP of .385.
Triton Central pushed their record up to 15-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Speedway, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Speedway hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Triton Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.2 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Speedway might still be hurting after the 7-0 loss they got from Triton Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Sparkplugs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
