vs
| 04/15/26 - Away | 8-2 W |
| 05/06/25 - Away | 16-0 W |
| 04/16/25 - Home | 12-2 W |
| 05/14/24 - Away | 12-2 W |
| 04/16/24 - Home | 16-1 W |
| + 5 more games |
Jackson is a perfect 10-0 against McKinley since May of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Polar Bears will host the Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Jackson is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Ohio's top teams: Green, who was ranked 20th at the time (Jackson was ranked 25th). The Polar Bears fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 13-12 on Thursday. The defeat continues a trend for the Polar Bears in their meetings with the Bulldogs: they've now lost eight in a row.
Jackson got a massive performance out of Annalise Wilson, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Kylie Kristoff, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Meanwhile, McKinley had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They put the hurt on the Raiders with a sharp 18-7 victory. The result was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who have now won nine contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Hailey Smith was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kylee Delgado, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Elijahne Smith was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
McKinley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .676. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
McKinley now has a winning record of 11-10. As for Jackson, their loss dropped their record down to 13-4.
McKinley's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Jackson has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for McKinley, though, as they've been averaging 9.3 hits. Given Jackson's sizable advantage in that area, the Bulldogs will need to find a way to close that gap.
Jackson got the 'W' in their previous matchup back in April against McKinley by a conclusive 8-2 score. Do the Polar Bears have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
