The Crestview Knights will face off against the Defiance Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Last Saturday, Crestview made easy work of Antwerp and carried off a 9-3 win.
Alli Thatcher spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on 12 hits and racked up seven Ks.
On the hitting side, Crestview got a big performance out of Kaci Gregory, who scored a run while going 3-for-5. Kaylee Mollenkopf was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Crestview always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Antwerp only posted an OBP of .412.
Meanwhile, Defiance put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Wauseon 12-2. With that victory, the Bulldogs brought their scoring average up to 7 runs per game.
Jordyn Busch tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits (and only one walk). That's the fewest earned runs she has allowed since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Ayvah Cullen, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. She also hit a triple, marking her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Khloe Siler, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Defiance's win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.9 runs over those games. As for Crestview, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
Both Crestview and Defiance just can't seem to miss. Crestview has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.7 hits per game. However, it's not like Defiance struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Crestview suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Defiance in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Crestview avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
