Maplewood is 0-5 against Pymatuning Valley since April of 2022 but things could change on Monday. The Rockets will challenge the Lakers at 5:00 p.m. Maplewood will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Maplewood's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. Everything went their way against Badger as they made off with a 7-0 victory. That seven run margin sets a new team best for the Rockets this season.
Addison Marker was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 16 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Maplewood let Ava Calvert and Aleesia Woomer run wild. Calvert went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while Woomer scored two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most RBI Calvert has posted since back in April of 2024. Elyse Pinkerton also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
Meanwhile, Pymatuning Valley made easy work of Grand Valley on Friday and carried off a 23-2 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lakers.
Like Maplewood, Pymatuning Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Peyton Hudson. She tossed five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Hudson was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nataleigh Haines, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Rylee Young was another key player, scoring three runs while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Pymatuning Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .718. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Grand Valley only posted an OBP of .286.
Maplewood's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average this season. As for Pymatuning Valley, their record now sits at 2-0.
Maplewood suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Pymatuning Valley when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Rockets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
