The Randolph Rockets will head out on the road to square off against the Markesan Hornets at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Randolph will be strutting in after a win while Markesan will be coming in after a defeat.
Randolph took a loss when they played away from home on Thursday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Montello by a score of 13-9. The high-scoring effort was just what the Rockets needed considering they were shut out in their previous contest.
Tessa Reed made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed 2.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Reed was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs.
In other batting news, Aubrey Kaufmann was a standout: she went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season. Paetyn Bryant was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs.
Randolph always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, Markesan was a bit more limited in their matchup on Tuesday. They came up short against Cambria-Friesland, falling 17-1. The Hornets haven't had much luck with the Hilltoppers recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Markesan saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ali Kirker, who went 1-for-2 with one double and one RBI. Another was Kaylee Heberer, who got on base in both of her plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Markesan's loss dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Randolph, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Randolph has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. However, it's not like Markesan struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Randolph suffered a grim 12-6 defeat to Markesan in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Can the Rockets avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
