The Wellington Dukes will head out to square off against the Firelands Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Wellington has given up an average of 9 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Wellington's last matchup with Columbia could've gone either way, but unfortunately the same can't be said for the pair's matchup on Monday. The Dukes lost 17-5 to the Raiders. The Dukes have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Mallory Pickering
| 04/14/25 vs Columbia | 1 |
| 04/09/25 vs Edison | 1 |
| 04/07/25 @ Clearview | 0 |
Mallory Pickering put in work no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up five earned (and four unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs.
Pickering wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Danica Borzy, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Firelands). They put the hurt on Oberlin with a sharp 30-1 win on Monday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Falcons with their most commanding win of the season.
Like Wellington, Firelands also got a great game from a two-way player: Sarah Blankenship. Throwing, Blankenship tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Jeanette Crawford pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. At the plate, Blankenship scored three runs and stole six bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances, while Crawford scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Those six stolen bases gave Blankenship a new career-high.
In other batting news, Mckenzie Janosik and Aubrynn Reichle did most of the damage at the plate: Janosik scored six runs and stole nine bases while getting on base in all six of her plate appearances, while Reichle scored six runs and stole ten bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. Those six runs gave Reichle a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kylie Sutorius, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-4.
Firelands was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .654. They are 3-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Firelands' record now sits at 3-5. As for Wellington, they now have a losing record of 3-4.
Tuesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wellington has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .456. However, it's not like Firelands struggles in that department as they've averaged .489. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
