The Durham Trojans will challenge the Pierce Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The timing is sure in Durham's favor as the squad sits on three straight wins at home while Pierce has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.
Durham will bounce into Tuesday's matchup after beating Oroville, who they had gone 1-6 against in their seven prior meetings. The Trojans were the clear victors by a 12-4 margin over the Tigers last Wednesday. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight games by six runs or more this season.
Annalee Horn and Sadie Sjolund made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Horn tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Sjolund didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over five innings pitched. Horn has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. At the plate, Horn went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI, while Sjolund got on base in three of her five plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hayden Poyner, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March. Ashley Spence was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Durham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Oroville only managed five hits.
Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Pierce's offense. They lost 19-0 to Gridley on Wednesday. Having soared to a lofty 25 runs in the game before, the Bears' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Durham is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5-1 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Pierce, their loss dropped their record down to 6-11.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Durham hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .318. However, it's not like Pierce struggles in that department as they've averaged .323. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Durham beat Pierce 13-9 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Do the Trojans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bears turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
