The Madison Blue Streaks will venture away from home to take on the Wickliffe Blue Devils at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Madison 2.6, Wickliffe 2.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
While Madison's victory against Geneva wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Blue Streaks narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Eagles 7-6. The victory continues a trend for the Blue Streaks in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won four in a row.
Kara Mekulsia
| 04/17/25 @ Geneva | 11 |
| 04/16/25 vs Lakeside | 14 |
| 04/09/25 vs Conneaut | 12 |
| 04/07/25 @ Perry | 5 |
| 04/04/25 vs Orange | 11 |
| + 3 more games |
Kara Mekulsia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six runs (all of which were unearned) on three hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Addy Behm was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Natalie Best was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Wickliffe put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Cardinal. The Blue Devils were the clear victors by a 22-0 margin over the Huskies. Considering the Blue Devils have won four contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Leigha Blazetic made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Blazetic was also big at the plate, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, five RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Mackayla Gazdak was a standout: she got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That stolen base was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Lorelai Nichols, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double.
Wickliffe always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .744. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Cardinal only posted an OBP of .176.
The win (which was Wickliffe's third in a row) raised their record to 5-2. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Madison, their record now sits at 7-1.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Madison hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .406. However, it's not like Wickliffe struggles in that department as they've averaged .476. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Madison skirted past Wickliffe 3-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2019. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Streaks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
