Girard is on a three-game streak of home losses, and Conneaut a 14-game streak of away losses dating back to last season. However, someone's due for a change in luck on Friday. The Girard Yellowjackets will host the Conneaut Spartans at 4:30 p.m. Girard is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Girard couldn't beat Saegertown on Thursday even though they stacked four runs on them in the first inning. The Yellowjackets fell 8-5 to the Panthers. While the Yellowjackets didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Panthers 4-0 in the first period.
Joe Ferretti and Zak Balogh stepped up to the plate in a big way. Ferretti went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double, while Balogh got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base. Aidan Maher was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Conneaut scored the most runs they've had this season on Thursday, but it wasn't enough. They came up short against Harding, falling 20-12.
Eli Taylor stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Thaddeus Huya, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Girard's defeat dropped their record down to 11-6. As for Conneaut, their loss dropped their record down to 0-19.
Conneaut's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Girard has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Conneaut, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Girard keep running through batters, or will the Spartans buck the trend?
Girard took their victory against Conneaut in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 12-0 score. Will the Yellowjackets repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
