Perry is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Monday. They will look to defend their home field against the Madison Blue Streaks at 4:30 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Perry comes in on three and Madison on five.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Perry and West Geauga, and Perry kept the tradition alive. The Pirates blew past the Wolverines 11-1 on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Pirates, who have now won three matches by ten runs or more so far this season.
Madelyn Rupert made a big impact no matter where she played. She pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Rupert was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Arianna Rogers was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Elise Strahan was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Perry kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Madison). Everything went their way against Orange on Friday as they made off with a 20-4 win. With that victory, the Blue Streaks brought their scoring average up to 9.2 runs per game.
Like Perry, Madison also got a great game from a two-way player: Kara Mekulsia. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Mekulsia has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with six RBI, three runs, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gianna LaMarco, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run marked the first that she launched this season. Another player making a difference was Ally Negin, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.
Perry now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Madison, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Perry has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Madison struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Perry was able to grind out a solid victory over Madison in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, winning 7-3. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Streaks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
