The Grand Valley Mustangs will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Jefferson Area Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Grand Valley headed into their last matchup having not scored more than two runs for three straight, but Lordstown let them put that streak behind them. The Mustangs put the hurt on the Red Devils with a sharp 25-2 victory on Monday. With that win, the Mustangs brought their scoring average up to 7 runs per game.
Ady Kovacic was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Kovacic was even better at the plate, scoring five runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4. Those hits marked the first that she got this season.
In other batting news, Grand Valley let Kaityln Baumann and Lydia Prah run wild. Baumann scored three runs and stole four bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances, while Prah scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in five of her six plate appearances. Those runs were Baumann's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Violet Morse, who scored three runs while going 3-for-4.
Grand Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .708. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Jefferson Area made easy work of Conneaut on Monday and carried off a 19-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Falcons, who have now won four contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Olivia Lewis made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Lewis was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Allison Hill, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Alaina Barress was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-5.
Jefferson Area is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.8 runs over those games. Grand Valley's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Grand Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Jefferson Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Grand Valley suffered a grim 19-1 defeat to Jefferson Area in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Will the Mustangs have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
