Madonna is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Saturday. They will head out on the road to square off against the Valley Lumberjacks at 12:00 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Madonna blew Union Local out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Thursday Union Local got their revenge. The Blue Dons fell just short of the Jets by a score of 6-4.
Reno Fuscardo put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. Fuscardo was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Fuscardo wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sam Brooks, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Valley was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their 21st straight defeat dating back to last season. They took a 12-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of Notre Dame.
Dustin Pierce and Ryder Gravette stepped up to the plate in a big way. Pierce went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Gravette earned two runs and three stolen bases. Those RBI were Pierce's first of the season. Coy Scyoc was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Valley's loss dropped their record down to 0-16. As for Madonna, they now have a losing record of 6-7.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Madonna has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Madonna's way against Valley when the teams last played back in April of 2019, as Madonna made off with a 25-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Dons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
