The Caledonia-Mumford Raiders will take on the Bloomfield Bombers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Caledonia-Mumford comes in on 12 and Bloomfield on ten.
On Tuesday, Caledonia-Mumford got the win against Byron-Bergen by a conclusive 14-2. Considering the Raiders have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Grace Beach made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). Beach was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Caledonia-Mumford got a massive performance out of Mia Wilson, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three runs and one RBI. Audrey Padlick-Field was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
Caledonia-Mumford always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .641. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Bloomfield made easy work of Pembroke on Tuesday and carried off an 8-1 win. The Bombers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Like Caledonia-Mumford, Bloomfield also got a great game from a two-way player: Ashlyn Wright. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 16 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Wright has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Addison Falsone was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April. Marlee Poole also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Bloomfield's victory was their 18th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 17-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 11.7 runs this season. As for Caledonia-Mumford, their record is now 16-4.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Caledonia-Mumford hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. However, it's not like Bloomfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .390. 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.
