The Western Reserve Blue Devils will head out to face off against the Maplewood Rockets at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Western Reserve is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last three games.
Western Reserve took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against Mineral Ridge, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Blue Devils skirted past the Rams 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blue Devils have posted since March 30th.
Landan Gerchak
| 04/23/26 vs Mineral Ridge | 8 |
| 04/20/26 vs Lowellville | 5 |
| 04/09/26 vs Memorial | 2 |
| 05/10/25 @ Columbiana | 2 |
Landan Gerchak was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Gerchak wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Taylor, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Maplewood). Everything went their way against Lordstown on Monday as they made off with a 20-1 win. Considering the Rockets have won six games by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.
Matthew Bolton looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Preston Cooper, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with five RBI, three runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Tyson Webster, who went 1-for-3 with four runs, two RBI, and one double.
Maplewood hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in six consecutive contests.
Western Reserve's record now sits at 9-3. As for Maplewood, their record is now 9-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Western Reserve has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Maplewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
