Maplewood and Chalker are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Rockets will head out on the road to challenge the Wildcats at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Maplewood's pitching crew has only allowed 1.8 runs per game this season, so Chalker's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Maplewood and Bristol, and Maplewood kept the tradition alive. The Rockets put the hurt on the Panthers with a sharp 13-0 victory on Wednesday. The Rockets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by six runs or more this season.
Addison Marker made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Hayley Flinner
| 04/23/25 vs Bristol | 3 |
| 04/12/25 @ United | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Harding | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ St. John | 1 |
| 04/11/25 vs Lordstown | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hayley Flinner, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and one run. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Katie Wear was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Chalker's offense. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mathews on Wednesday. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, the Wildcats' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Chalker saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tatum Hudak, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Maplewood pushed their record up to 11-1 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.9 runs over those games. As for Chalker, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 5-1 and their overall record down to 6-3.
Maplewood was able to grind out a solid win over Chalker when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 8-5. Will the Rockets repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
