The Normandy Invaders are taking a road trip to take on the Buckeye Bucks at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Buckeye took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Normandy, who comes in off a win.
Normandy is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 15-4 margin over Bedford on Friday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Invaders with their most commanding win of the season.
Ava Ramirez and Claire Karlak made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Ramirez pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Karlak pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Ramirez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Ramirez went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Karlak went a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs, two doubles, and one RBI. That's the most RBI Ramirez has posted since back in April of 2025.
In other batting news, Gianna Lynch was excellent, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That run marked the first that she has scored this season. Lizzie Skidmore was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs.
Normandy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .639. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Buckeye suffered their biggest loss since April 10, 2025 on Saturday. They came up short against Midview, falling 10-4. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Bucks, who until this game were averaging 2.92 runs allowed.
Faith Shaw was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
This is the second loss in a row for Buckeye and nudges their season record down to 9-3. As for Normandy, their victory ended a six-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 3-3.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Normandy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Buckeye struggles in that department as they've averaged .376. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Normandy might still be hurting after the 16-2 defeat they got from Buckeye when the teams last played back in May of 2025. Can the Invaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.