The Elmwood Royals will take on the Oak Harbor Rockets at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Elmwood 3.9, Oak Harbor 3.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Elmwood is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They put the hurt on Paulding with a sharp 16-8 victory. Considering the Royals have won 11 matchups by more than seven runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Trinity Sander, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Libbie Tyson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
Four must be Oak Harbor's lucky number: they beat Crestview with that score not once but twice on Friday. The Rockets beat the Cougars by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 4-1. The Rockets haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Morgan Lalonde spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Kaitlyn Meloche was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Haylee Robinson, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Elmwood has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-8 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Oak Harbor, their record now sits at 23-6.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Elmwood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .365. However, it's not like Oak Harbor struggles in that department as they've averaged .362. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Elmwood skirted past Oak Harbor 7-6 when the teams last played back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Royals since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
