Skyline hasn't had much luck against Bucklin recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Thunderbirds will face off against the Red Aces at 4:00 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Skyline fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Kinsley on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Coyotes by a score of 13-12. On the bright side, the 12- run effort marked the Thunderbirds' highest-scoring game to date.
Clayton Freeman was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Those two hits allowed gave him a new career-low. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with one RBI. Those hits were his first of the season.
In other batting news, Skyline got a massive performance out of Darren Lewton, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI. Those runs marked the first that Lewton has scored this season. Another player making a difference was Keegyn Washington, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Meanwhile, Bucklin put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They never let Minneola get on the board and left with a 27-0 victory. Considering the Red Aces have won three matchups by more than 13 runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Skyline, Bucklin also got a great game from a two-way player: Tyree Ellis. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ellis was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Bucklin got a massive performance out of Jack Herd, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four stolen bases, and six RBI. With that strong performance, Herd is now averaging an impressive 2.2 runs per game. Jack Williems was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, four stolen bases, and three runs.
Bucklin was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .565. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2025.
Skyline's loss dropped their record down to 0-7-1. As for Bucklin, their record now sits at 7-0.
Skyline might still be hurting after the 15-0 defeat they got from Bucklin in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Thunderbirds avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
