Softball Game Preview: Wellington Dukes vs. Independence Blue Devils

The Wellington Dukes will venture away from home to take on the Independence Blue Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Wellington has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Wellington blew Brookside out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Friday Brookside got their revenge. The Dukes fell just short of the Cardinals by a score of 6-4.

Mallory Pickering

Batters Struck Out

05/16/25 @ Brookside	11
05/15/25 @ Black River	8
05/14/25 vs East Canton	14

Mallory Pickering put in work no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.

Pickering wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Caedyn Wacker, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

Meanwhile, Independence has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.64 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Thursday. They came up short against Brecksville-Broadview Heights, falling 12-0. It was the first time this season that the Blue Devils let down their fans at home.

Independence suffered their first home loss, dropping their record down to 18-4. As for Wellington, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-10.

Wellington couldn't quite finish off Independence when the teams last played back in May of 2022 and fell 3-1. Can the Dukes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.