Fitzgerald hasn't had much luck against Hazel Park recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Spartans will square off against the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Fitzgerald's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Sterling Heights as they made off with a 17-0 victory. The win was nothing new for the Spartans as they're now sitting on three straight.
Aziya Marks
| 05/07/25 @ Sterling Heights | 3 |
| 05/07/25 @ Sterling Heights | 1 |
| 05/03/25 vs Detroit Cristo Rey | 1 |
| 05/02/25 @ Eastpointe | 1 |
| 04/30/25 @ Lincoln | 2 |
Aziya Marks and Taylor McCants did most of the damage at the plate: Marks got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and four runs, while McCants got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. Marks has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times she's played. Brooklyn Williams was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Fitzgerald always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .562. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .526 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Hazel Park came tearing into Wednesday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17.3 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 13-7 margin over the Dragons.
Madison Platt (2027) made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Those 13 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Hazel Park got a massive performance out of Ryleigh Adams (2027), who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with five stolen bases and three runs. Those five stolen bases gave Adams (2027) a new career-high. Kathryn Chappell (2026) also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Fitzgerald's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-8. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Hazel Park, the victory got them back to even at 10-10.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Fitzgerald hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. However, it's not like Hazel Park struggles in that department as they've averaged .355. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fitzgerald suffered a grim 18-5 defeat to Hazel Park when the teams last played back in April. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
