vs
| 04/06/26 - Home | 1-0 W |
| 05/12/25 - Away | 3-2 W |
| 05/06/24 - Away | 8-5 W |
| 04/19/24 - Home | 1-7 L |
| 04/20/23 - Home | 2-9 L |
| + 5 more games |
Maplewood and Chalker are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Rockets will take on the Wildcats at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Maplewood sitting on 21 straight victories and Chalker on three.
Maplewood's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Cardinal 6-0. Considering the Rockets have won 15 matchups by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Lexi Yannucci was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over 6.2 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Claire Urchek was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Chalker got the win against Badger on Wednesday by a conclusive 15-2. The Wildcats are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the sixth contest they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Like Maplewood, Chalker also got a great game from a two-way player: Tatum Hudak. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Hudak was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Katelyn Cook was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those three hits gave her a new career-high. Abby Grimm was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one triple.
Chalker was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .514. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in three consecutive games.
Maplewood's record now sits at 21-1. As for Chalker, their record is now 8-4.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Maplewood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .385. However, it's not like Chalker struggles in that department as they've averaged .380. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maplewood came out on top in a nail-biter against Chalker when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rockets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
