Elida is 1-7 against Defiance since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. Elida will head out to face off against Defiance at 5:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Elida 3.8, Defiance 2.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Celina hit Elida with a four-run fourth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. Elida fell 6-2 to Celina. Elida has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Elida saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gabe Miley, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double. That double marked the first that Miley has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Defiance strolled into their game on Thursday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They were the clear victors by an 8-0 margin over Central Catholic. Considering the Bulldogs have won five matchups by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Garyson Smiddy tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Cody Shaw, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Noah Gomez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Elida's defeat dropped their record down to 9-7. As for Defiance, their victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-0.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Elida has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Defiance struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Elida couldn't quite get it done against Defiance when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 4-1. Can Elida avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
