The Minerva Lions will square off against the Indian Valley Braves at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Minerva barely beat Tuscarawas Central Catholic the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Lions never let the Saints get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory on Saturday. The win continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Saints: they've now won five in a row.
Sierra Cress
| 05/10/25 @ Tuscarawas Central Catholic | 1 |
| 05/09/25 vs Alliance | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Salem | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Carrollton | 2 |
| 04/01/25 vs Canton South | 0 |
| + 2 more games |
Sierra Cress made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one run.
In other batting news, Minerva got a big performance out of Rachel Weaver, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most RBI Weaver has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Gabby Kashdan, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Indian Valley not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 9th (when they won 22-0). They were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over Sandy Valley. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Braves.
Shelby Gossett spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on six hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Cambrye Pall, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Bella Weaver was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Indian Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matches.
Minerva's record now sits at 9-14. As for Indian Valley, their record is now 8-10.
Minerva suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Indian Valley in their previous meeting back in May of 2018. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
