The Hicksville Aces will head out on the road to square off against the Patrick Henry Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Hicksville proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by six) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Archbold 11-10. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Aces, who until this matchup were averaging four runs allowed.
Kennedy Adams made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Adams was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. That stolen base marked the first that she snagged this season.
In other batting news, Lilly Porter was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Mckenna Rice, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Patrick Henry strolled into their game on Thursday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They walked away with a 13-9 victory over Paulding. While the Patriots didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Patrick Henry got a massive performance out of Kasey Nelson, who scored a run while going 3-for-5. Sophie Schwab was another key player, going 1-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
Patrick Henry was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .394. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .308 or higher every time they've taken the field this season.
Hicksville's record is now 4-1. As for Patrick Henry, their record now sits at 7-0.
Patrick Henry's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hicksville has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.2 hits per game. It's a different story for Patrick Henry, though, as they've been averaging 9.3 hits. Given Hicksville's sizable advantage in that area, the Patriots will need to find a way to close that gap.
Hicksville took their win against Patrick Henry in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 18-3 score. Do the Aces have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
