Conneaut Area hasn't had much luck against Slippery Rock recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Eagles will venture away from home to square off against the Rockets at 11:00 a.m. The last three games Conneaut Area has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
While Conneaut Area's win against Girard wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Eagles skirted past the Yellowjackets 7-5. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Yellowjackets recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Ashton Headley was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Headley was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Caiden Loucks was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Slippery Rock put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 3-2 W against Hickory.
Slippery Rock also got a great performance from Austan Runtas as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched.
At the plate, Slippery Rock saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Doug Popovec, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Casey Darr also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Slippery Rock's win was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.2 runs over those games. As for Conneaut Area, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Conneaut Area has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Slippery Rock struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Conneaut Area's way against Slippery Rock in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Conneaut Area made off with an 11-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
