The Tallmadge Blue Devils will take on the Stow-Munroe Falls Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Tallmadge has three straight victories, Stow-Munroe Falls has eight straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Tallmadge proved they can win big on Monday (they won by nine) and on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-7 win over Copley. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Blue Devils have posted since May 3, 2024.
Leila Staszak was incredible, firing off two home runs and five RBI while going 3-for-4. Those home runs marked the first that she launched this season. Marissa Charton was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Tallmadge always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .556 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Stow-Munroe Falls didn't have quite enough to beat Twinsburg on Wednesday and fell 6-4.
Lexi Watson was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Aiyana Williams, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Tallmadge's win bumped their record up to 4-5. As for Stow-Munroe Falls, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Tallmadge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .330. However, it's not like Stow-Munroe Falls struggles in that department as they've averaged .337. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Tallmadge was able to grind out a solid victory over Stow-Munroe Falls in their previous matchup back in April of 2022, winning 6-2. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
