The Independence Blue Devils will be taking part in a tournament against the Harding Skippers at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Independence has ten straight victories, Harding has 18 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Independence took an 11-run defeat the last time they faced off against Perry, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Blue Devils sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 win over the Pirates on Monday.
Lila Manfredonia
| 05/11/26 @ Perry | 18 |
| 05/06/26 vs North Olmsted | 13 |
| 04/30/26 vs Cuyahoga Heights | 13 |
| 04/28/26 vs Medina Christian Academy | 6 |
| 04/27/26 @ Brooklyn | 15 |
| + 4 more games |
Lila Manfredonia made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 18 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Thursday just wasn't the day for Harding's offense. They came up short against Windham on Thursday, falling 16-0.
Harding saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophia McLaughlin, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base. Payton Miller also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Harding's loss dropped their record down to 0-13. As for Independence, their victory bumped their record up to 12-3.
Harding's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Independence has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Harding, though, as they've been averaging 9.5 hits. Given Independence's sizable advantage in that area, the Skippers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Independence got the 'W' when the teams last played back in May of 2025 against Harding by a conclusive 19-0 score. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Skippers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
