Baseball Recap: Akron-Fairgrove Takes a Loss

Akron-Fairgrove had lost 11 straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Monday they dropped their record down to 0-8 to make it 12. They came up short against the Dryden Cardinals, falling 13-4. The Vikings were not able to make up for their defeat to the Cardinals from their previous meeting back in April of 2024.

Akron-Fairgrove saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Max Kern, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and one run. That run marked the first that Kern has scored this season.

As for Dryden, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 4-4. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games.

On Dryden's side, Rowan Handley was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Handley also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Dryden is undefeated when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-4 otherwise. Handley was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Santi Perales, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. He has become a key player for Dryden: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 0-4 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Tj Mersino, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Akron-Fairgrove will square off against Caseville at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Eagles have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 19.25 runs per game on average), something the Vikings will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Dryden, they will take on Mayville at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.