The Independence Blue Devils will head out on the road to take on the Beachwood Bison at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Independence will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, Independence made easy work of Medina Christian Academy and carried off a 20-2 win. Considering the Blue Devils have won four matchups by more than 13 runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Lila Manfredonia and Rabecca Gibson made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Manfredonia struck out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Gibson pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Manfredonia has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive appearances. At bat, Manfredonia went a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI, one triple, and one run, while Gibson went 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs. That's the most hits Gibson has posted since back in April of 2025.
Bella Iacianci
| 04/28/26 vs Medina Christian Academy | 3 |
| 04/27/26 @ Brooklyn | 2 |
| 04/21/26 vs Trinity | 1 |
| 04/20/26 @ Cuyahoga Heights | 1 |
| 03/26/26 @ Canton Central Catholic | 1 |
In other batting news, Independence got a massive performance out of Bella Iacianci, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. Those three runs gave Iacianci a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooke Vollman, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Independence was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .618. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in three consecutive games.
Cuyahoga Heights hit Beachwood with a six-run fifth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bison lost 12-2 to the Red Wolves. The Bison have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Beachwood saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ela Sasmaz, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI. Dalilah Harrison also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Beachwood's defeat dropped their record down to 3-7. As for Independence, their record is now 8-3.
Beachwood's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Independence has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.7 hits per game. It's a different story for Beachwood, though, as they've been averaging 11.3 hits. Given Independence's sizable advantage in that area, the Bison will need to find a way to close that gap.
Independence got the 'W' when the teams last played back in May of 2019 against Beachwood by a conclusive 18-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Devils since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
