The Reading Blue Devils are taking a road trip to take on the Colerain Cardinals at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Reading will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each match than the last.
Reading had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 16-run drubbing they dealt Deer Park on Wednesday. The Blue Devils put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 16-0 win. The Blue Devils haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Garrett Minks was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Minks was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI and two runs.
Connor Davis
| 04/16/25 vs Deer Park | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Miami Valley Christian Academy | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Bethel-Tate | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Connor Davis, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Charlie Hess also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Reading always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .692. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Deer Park only posted an OBP of .125.
Meanwhile, Colerain waltzed into their game on Thursday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They skirted past the Middies 7-5. That's two games straight that the Cardinals have won by exactly two runs.
Caleb Hesse spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up 12 Ks.
At the plate, Colerain's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Vinny Taylor, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Another was Nathan Johnson, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Reading pushed their record up to 4-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Colerain, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Reading has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Colerain struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Reading was able to grind out a solid win over Colerain in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 10-7. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
