The Elyria Pioneers will face off against the North Ridgeville Rangers at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. The timing isn't great for Elyria: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while North Ridgeville has snatched up five consecutive wins on the road dating back to last season.
Having struggled with seven defeats in a row, Elyria turned things around against Olmsted Falls on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 17-5 win. The Pioneers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Elyria got a great performance from Grace Blazina as she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. Blazina has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
Morgan Palos
| 04/16/25 @ Olmsted Falls | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Avon Lake | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Avon | 1 |
| 04/09/25 vs Midview | 1 |
On the hitting side, Morgan Palos was a standout: she scored four runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Jaelyn Green was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI.
Meanwhile, North Ridgeville was able to grind out a solid victory over Avon on Wednesday, taking the game 6-3. The Rangers haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Naomi Bottomlee was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Bottomlee was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Bottomlee wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kasey Melvin, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
North Ridgeville's victory bumped their record up to 9-1. As for Elyria, they picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 3-8.
Elyria suffered a grim 13-4 defeat to North Ridgeville in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the Pioneers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
