The Cardinal Mooney Cardinals are taking a road trip to face off against the Boardman Spartans at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Cardinal Mooney took a 11-run loss the last time they faced off against Harding, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cardinals had just enough and edged out the Raiders 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Cardinals have posted since May 7, 2024.
Meanwhile, Boardman came tearing into Wednesday's game with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Rams a 10-0 shutout. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Gabi Sferra made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three RBI. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Boardman let Laci Jurus and Addie Rudge run wild. Jurus went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI, while Rudge went 2-for-3 with one triple, one double, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases Jurus has posted since April 1st. Alex Ward was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Boardman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mineral Ridge only posted an OBP of .105.
The win made it two in a row for Cardinal Mooney and bumps their season record up to 4-5. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.5 runs over those games. As for Boardman, their record now sits at 14-2.
Cardinal Mooney might still be hurting after the 15-5 defeat they got from Boardman when the teams last played back in May of 2021. Can the Cardinals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
