Softball Game Preview: Boardman Spartans vs. Cardinal Mooney Cardinals

The Boardman Spartans will face off against the Cardinal Mooney Cardinals at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Boardman will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.

Boardman's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Mineral Ridge as they made off with a 10-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won nine contests by six runs or more so far this season.

Gabi Sferra

Batters Struck Out (Career)

04/23/25 vs Mineral Ridge	13
03/27/25 @ Poland Seminary	9
04/16/24 @ Harding	9
04/12/25 @ Copley	8
05/06/24 @ Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin	8

Gabi Sferra made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over six innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI.

In other batting news, Laci Jurus and Addie Rudge did most of the damage at the plate: Jurus went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI, while Rudge went 2-for-3 with one triple, one double, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Jurus has posted since April 1st. Ellie Wymer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs.

Boardman kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in seven consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Mooney posted their closest win since May 7, 2024 on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Harding 5-4. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cardinals.

Boardman's victory bumped their record up to 14-2. As for Cardinal Mooney, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.

Boardman took their victory against Cardinal Mooney in their previous matchup back in May of 2021 by a conclusive 15-5 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.