The Licking Heights Hornets will square off against the Utica Redskins at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Licking Heights will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
On Monday, Licking Heights needed a bit of extra time to put away Watkins Memorial. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 win over the Warriors. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hornets have posted since April 9, 2024.
Natalie Mahoney spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and three unearned) runs on 12 hits and racked up six Ks.
Lily Meidl
| 04/14/25 @ Watkins Memorial | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Buckeye Valley | 1 |
| 04/26/24 vs Reynoldsburg | 1 |
| 04/16/24 @ Zanesville | 1 |
| 04/10/24 @ Newark Catholic | 1 |
At the plate, Lily Meidl was incredible, firing off two home runs and five RBI while going 2-for-5. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
Utica's found some homefield redemption this week after a overtime loss to Lakewood on Tuesday. Everything went the Redskins' way against Northridge as they made off with a 15-5 win. The Redskins haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Cheyene Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and one stolen base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Makena Wilson was a standout: she scored three runs and stole three bases while going 4-for-4. She also put up two doubles, which were her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Baleigh Torrens, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Utica always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Utica pushed their record up to 4-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Licking Heights, their win bumped their record up to 7-5.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Licking Heights hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.7 home runs per game. However, it's not like Utica struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went Licking Heights' way against Utica in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Licking Heights made off with a 17-4 victory. Will the Hornets repeat their success, or do the Redskins have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
