The St. John Fighting Herald will challenge the Maplewood Rockets at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
St. John took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Friday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Bristol 6-4.
Isabelle Holler made a big impact no matter where she played. She struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off 11 hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Gianna Torres
| 04/04/25 vs Bristol | 2 |
| 05/06/24 vs McKinley | 1 |
| 04/22/24 vs Windham | 1 |
| 04/20/24 @ Conneaut | 1 |
| 04/09/24 vs Lordstown | 1 |
In other batting news, Gianna Torres was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one triple. Those two runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Caitlyn Carney, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one double.
Meanwhile, Maplewood put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over United. Considering the Rockets have won five games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Like St. John, Maplewood also got a great game from a two-way player: Addison Marker. On the mound, she struck out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Marker was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Raegan Krieg, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Hayley Flinner was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Maplewood kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive matches.
Maplewood's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for St. John, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. John has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Maplewood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 12.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. John came up short against Maplewood in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, falling 11-6. Can the Fighting Herald avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
