The Fairview Apaches will head out to face off against the Defiance Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Fairview barely beat Evergreen the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Apaches never let the Vikings get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory on Saturday. The win continues a trend for the Apaches in their matchups with the Vikings: they've now won four in a row.
The team relied heavily on Kortney Grinnell, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Liberty Vogelsong, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Fairview was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .409. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .344 or higher in nine consecutive games.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Defiance). They were the clear victors by a 13-0 margin over Columbus Grove on Saturday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Natalie Ordway made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Addison Miller was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI. Elley Ward was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Fairview now has a winning record of 7-6. As for Defiance, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-3.
Defiance's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Fairview hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .376. It's a different story for Defiance, though, as they've only averaged .256. Will they be able to contain Fairview's hitters?
Fairview couldn't quite get it done against Defiance when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 6-1. Can the Apaches avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
