Defiance will challenge Celina at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Defiance will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Defiance's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Elida 10-0. Considering Defiance has won six games by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Cody Shaw's shutout, as he gave up just four hits and racked up six Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cohen Stockman, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Noah Gomez, who went 1-for-4 with one triple and two RBI.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Celina's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell just short of Bath by a score of 7-6.
Nick Steinbrunner was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Chance Miller, who went 3-for-4 with one run and one double.
Defiance pushed their record up to 12-0 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 7.7 runs this season. As for Celina, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-8.
Celina's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Defiance has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .445. It's a different story for Celina, though, as they've only averaged .358. Will they be able to contain Defiance's hitters?
Defiance came out on top in a nail-biter against Celina in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-1. Does Defiance have another victory up their sleeve, or will Celina turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
