The Knoch Knights will venture away from home to face off against the Mars Fightin' Planets at 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Knoch has 11 straight victories, Mars has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While Knoch's win against Deer Lakes wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Knights had just enough and edged out the Lancers 11-9. 11 seems to be a good number for the Knights as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Marlee Fraser was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Alena Tekely
| 04/28/26 @ Deer Lakes | 3 |
| 04/22/26 @ Greensburg Salem | 2 |
| 04/20/26 vs Highlands | 2 |
| 04/17/26 @ Indiana | 2 |
| 04/09/25 @ Indiana | 2 |
In other batting news, Emersyn Jones and Alena Tekely did most of the damage at the plate: Jones went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Tekely went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs and two doubles. Those three runs gave Tekely a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lizzie Danik, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Knoch was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .417. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Deer Lakes only posted a batting average of .200.
Meanwhile, Mars didn't have quite enough to beat South Fayette on Monday and fell 5-4.
Tessa Simoni was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four stolen bases and two runs. Alyson Mazurek was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Mars' loss dropped their record down to 2-12. As for Knoch, their record is now 14-2.
Mars' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Knoch has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Mars, though, as they've been averaging 13.2 hits. Given Knoch's sizable advantage in that area, the Fightin' Planets will need to find a way to close that gap.
Knoch got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in March of 2025 against Mars by a conclusive 11-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
