The Independence Patriots will take on the Butler Bulldogs at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Independence is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last 13 games.
On Wednesday, Independence was able to grind out a solid victory over A.L. Brown, taking the game 7-4.
Maliyah Alexander spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on 12 hits.
Natalie Johnson
| 04/23/25 vs A.L. Brown | 3 |
| 04/10/25 @ East Mecklenburg | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Providence | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Garinger | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs West Cabarrus | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Natalie Johnson, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Emma Wrangham, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one double.
Meanwhile, in Thursday's Canine Competition, Butler came out on top. They took their game against Ballantyne Ridge on Thursday 7-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bulldogs.
Parker Lamb was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Alyssa Rubidoux was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Peyton Bowar, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
Independence pushed their record up to 18-2 with the win, which was their 12th straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Butler, their win bumped their record up to 7-11.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Independence hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like Butler struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Independence took their victory against Butler in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 15-4 score. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
