The Lowellville Rockets will venture away from home to square off against the Chalker Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Lowellville took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They never let Central Christian get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The victory was some much needed relief for the Rockets as it spelled an end to their five-game losing streak.
Lowellville let Alyssa Kuzan and Giuliana Alfano run wild. Kuzan went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Alfano went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Gianna Palumbo also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Lowellville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .593. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Central Christian only posted an OBP of .000.
Meanwhile, Chalker hadn't done well against Grand Valley recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Wildcats were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over the Mustangs. Considering the Wildcats have won eight matches by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Tatum Hudak and Gabby Hromada made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Hudak tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Hromada tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. At the plate, Hudak went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Hromada went 3-for-4 with three runs and two doubles. That's the most runs Hromada has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Kelsey Kren was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run and three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Ashcraft, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Chalker is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. As for Lowellville, their record is now 3-7.
Monday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Lowellville has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .522. However, it's not like Chalker struggles in that department as they've averaged .501. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lowellville suffered a grim 9-3 defeat to Chalker in their previous meeting back in May of 2022. Can the Rockets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
