The Perkins Pirates will head out on the road to take on the Oak Harbor Rockets at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Perkins has given up an average of 8.2 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
While Perkins' victory against Columbian wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Pirates narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Tornadoes 18-16. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Pirates have posted since March 24, 2025.
Perkins got a massive performance out of Aubrey Ransom, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 3-for-5. Those two home runs gave Ransom a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Allie Brunner, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Perkins lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Oak Harbor had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Wednesday. Everything went their way against the Wildcats as they made off with a 12-6 win. Considering the Rockets have won three matchups by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Morgan Lalonde made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Oak Harbor let Addison Laubacher and Karder Haas run wild. Laubacher went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Haas went 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That triple marked the first that Laubacher has hit this season. Payne Lohman was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Perkins' record now sits at 4-1. As for Oak Harbor, their record is now 5-2.
Perkins suffered a grim 15-1 defeat to Oak Harbor in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.