The Utica Chieftains will head out to challenge the Romeo Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Utica will be strutting in after a win while Romeo will be coming in after a loss.
Utica took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Algonac, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Chieftains sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over the Muskrats on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Chieftains have posted since April 11th.
Violet Smith spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Rachel Durecki was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Romeo had taken Anchor Bay down for three straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Thursday. The Bulldogs fell just short of the Tars by a score of 4-3. The Bulldogs have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Romeo also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Katie Murphy gave up three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks.
At the plate, Romeo saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jess McLeod, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI.
Utica has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-5 record this season. As for Romeo, their loss dropped their record down to 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Utica has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Romeo struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Utica couldn't quite get it done against Romeo in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Can the Chieftains avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
