The Fairmont Firebirds will face off against the Springfield Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Fairmont is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Fairmont easily dispatched Beavercreek on Wednesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Firebirds fell just short of Lebanon by a score of 6-4 on Thursday.
Amy Osman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Carlee Netherton was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Springfield came into Thursday's contest having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Edgewood on Thursday by a score of 5-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Emily Brooks made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. What's more, she posted two strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brianna Jones, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Fairmont's defeat dropped their record down to 13-8. As for Springfield, their victory bumped their record up to 7-15.
Springfield's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Fairmont has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Springfield, though, as they've been averaging 9.9 hits. Given Fairmont's sizable advantage in that area, the Wildcats will need to find a way to close that gap.
Fairmont beat Springfield 7-4 in their previous meeting last Monday. Will the Firebirds repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
