Stark County is 1-7 against Bureau Valley since March of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Saturday. The Rebels are taking a road trip to challenge the Storm at 11:00 a.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Stark County will bounce into Saturday's contest after beating Knoxville, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Rebels put the hurt on the Blue Bullets with a sharp 10-2 victory on Thursday. The Rebels might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by eight runs or more this season.
Brooklynn Ostrowski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances.
Hallie Newton
| 04/30/26 vs Knoxville | 2 |
| 04/13/26 @ Lowpoint-Washburn | 1 |
| 04/11/26 vs Ridgewood [AlWood/Cambridge] | 1 |
| 03/21/26 @ Kewanee | 1 |
| 04/28/25 vs Henry-Senachwine | 1 |
On the hitting side, Hallie Newton was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Sophie Finnegan, who went 1-for-2 with three runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Bureau Valley). They never let Monmouth United get on the board and left with a 12-0 win on Thursday. The Storm haven't had any issues with the Red Storm recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Mallory Maubach-Williams made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Maubach-Williams was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Bureau Valley got a massive performance out of Emily Wright, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and four RBI. That home run was Wright's first of the season. Ali Carrington was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI.
Bureau Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .567. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Stark County's record now sits at 10-8. As for Bureau Valley, their record is now 7-8.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Stark County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .358. However, it's not like Bureau Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
