The Marlington Dukes will challenge the Strasburg-Franklin Tigers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Marlington's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Strasburg-Franklin's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Marlington's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They came out on top against Hillsdale by a score of 5-0 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Justine Doringo was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Doringo was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Doringo wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Faith Savage, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Maddie Bailey also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last match, Strasburg-Franklin made sure to put some runs up on the board against North Ridgeville on Friday. The Tigers were the clear victors by a 15-4 margin over the Rangers. With that victory, the Tigers brought their scoring average up to 6.7 runs per game.
Like Marlington, Strasburg-Franklin also got a great game from a two-way player: Miley Reifenschneider. She pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Reifenschneider has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Ella Gilkerson was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Sofia Secrest, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Strasburg-Franklin hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in three consecutive contests.
Strasburg-Franklin is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for Marlington, their record now sits at 6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Marlington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Strasburg-Franklin struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Marlington beat Strasburg-Franklin 6-3 when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Will the Dukes repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
