Minerva hasn't had much luck against Marlington recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Lions will square off against the Dukes at 5:00 p.m.
Last Thursday, Minerva came up short against Salem and fell 7-3.
Gabby Kashdan put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting no hits from her two at bats.
In other batting news, Mackenzie French made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2. That stolen base was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last match, Marlington made sure to put some runs up on the board against Carrollton on Wednesday. The Dukes blew past the Warriors 13-1. With that win, the Dukes brought their scoring average up to 7.2 runs per game.
Lydia Duncan spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 12 Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chelsea Miller, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Another player making a difference was Zoey Maxwell, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Marlington kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Carrollton only managed three hits.
Minerva's loss dropped their record down to 4-7. As for Marlington, their record is now 3-1.
Minerva suffered a grim 18-7 defeat to Marlington in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
