The Boardman Spartans will challenge the Howland Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Boardman is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
Boardman is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Harding a 17-0 shutout on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Addie Kowacich was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out ten over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in May of 2024.
Addie Rudge
| 04/16/25 @ Harding | 5 |
| 04/14/25 @ Howland | 4 |
| 03/22/25 vs Lakeview | 3 |
| 04/12/25 vs GlenOak | 2 |
| 04/04/25 @ Columbiana | 2 |
In other batting news, Addie Rudge was incredible, going 3-for-5 with one home run and five RBI. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Alex Ward, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-5.
Boardman hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harding struck out ten times.
Meanwhile, Howland unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Monday. They came up short against Boardman, falling 12-3. Tigers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Spartans since on Monday.
Madison Schmitz made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-4 with one home run. Calleigh Luman also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Boardman's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Howland, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Boardman has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Howland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Boardman's way against Howland in their previous meeting on Monday, as Boardman made off with a 12-3 victory. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
