The Black River Pirates will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Monroeville Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, Black River beat North Olmsted 7-3.
Abbey Kiser
| 04/01/25 @ North Olmsted | 10 |
| 03/29/25 @ Norwayne | 2 |
| 03/26/25 @ New London | 4 |
Abbey Kiser spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game.
At the plate, Jenna Dieter was a standout: she scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Mallory Eckert was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Monroeville strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They blew past Bellevue 11-2. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three games by nine runs or more this season.
Veanna Helmstetter made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. She also hit a double, marking her first of the season.
In other batting news, Taryn Tyler was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. What's more, she posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Madison Reiber, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and three RBI.
Monroeville's win was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Black River, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Black River hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like Monroeville struggles in that department as they've averaged .385. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Black River couldn't quite get it done against Monroeville in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Will the Pirates have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
