The Martins Ferry Purple Riders will face off against the St. Clairsville Red Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Martins Ferry has four straight victories, St. Clairsville has 28 straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Saturday, Martins Ferry beat Buckeye Local 7-2.
Maddie Lucas
| 03/29/25 vs Buckeye Local | 12 |
| 04/23/24 vs Fort Frye | 11 |
| 03/25/25 @ The Linsly School | 10 |
| 03/24/25 vs Union Local | 10 |
| 04/17/24 vs Beaver Local | 10 |
Maddie Lucas was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Those 12 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Makayla Cole, who scored a run and stole three bases while going 3-for-4. Those three stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Giana Chirpas was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Martins Ferry kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, St. Clairsville scored the most runs they've had this season on Saturday, but it wasn't enough. They fell just short of Shadyside by a score of 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Red Devils have suffered since March 28, 2024.
Martins Ferry's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for St. Clairsville, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.
Martins Ferry beat St. Clairsville 7-4 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Does Martins Ferry have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. Clairsville turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
