The Rockwood Rockets will face off against the Shade Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The timing isn't great for Rockwood: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Shade has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.
Rockwood will bounce into Monday's contest after beating Fannett Metal, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Rockets had just enough and edged out Fannett Metal 8-6. The win was some much needed relief for the Rockets as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Sydney Beals made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Beals was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Rockwood let Miley Pletcher and Elika Pletcher run wild. Miley went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Elika went 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits Elika has posted since back in May of 2024. Paelyn Sanner was another key player, going 1-for-5 with two runs and one triple.
Rockwood kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Shade got the win against McConnellsburg on Thursday by a conclusive 14-1. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Spartans: they've now won six in a row.
Payton Maddy made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tori Bowers, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Katy Kovacs, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Rockwood's win bumped their record up to 3-7. As for Shade, their victory bumped their record up to 5-2.
Rockwood's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. The Rockets have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Shade, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Rockwood continue to outrun the ball?
Rockwood took their win against Shade when the teams last played on April 1st by a conclusive 13-6 score. Will the Rockets repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
