Bucklin has gone 9-1 against Skyline recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Red Aces will host the Thunderbirds at 4:00 p.m. Bucklin is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Bucklin is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Minneola a 27-0 shutout on Tuesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Red Aces with their most commanding win of the season.
Tyree Ellis made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ellis was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Jack Herd
| 04/07/26 vs Minneola | 4 |
| 04/07/26 vs Minneola | 3 |
| 03/30/26 vs Elkhart | 3 |
| 03/26/26 vs Kinsley | 3 |
| 03/26/26 vs Kinsley | 0 |
In other batting news, Bucklin got a massive performance out of Jack Herd, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, four stolen bases, and six RBI. With that strong performance, Herd is now averaging an impressive 2.2 runs per game. Jack Williems was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, four stolen bases, and three runs.
Bucklin was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .565. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April of 2025.
Meanwhile, Skyline fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Kinsley on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Coyotes by a score of 13-12. Even if the Thunderbirds couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Like Bucklin, Skyline also got a great game from a two-way player: Clayton Freeman. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Those two hits allowed gave Freeman a new career-low. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with one RBI. Those hits marked the first that he has got this season.
In other batting news, Skyline got a massive performance out of Darren Lewton, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI. Those runs were Lewton's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Keegyn Washington, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Bucklin's win bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Skyline, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-7-1.
Skyline's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bucklin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .582. It's a different story for Skyline, though, as they've only averaged .337. Will they be able to contain Bucklin's hitters?
Bucklin got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in April of 2025 against Skyline by a conclusive 15-0 score. Do the Red Aces have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Thunderbirds turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
