The Independence Patriots will face off against the A.L. Brown Wonders at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
A.L. Brown will be up against a hot Independence team: the squad just extended their winning streak to 12. The Patriots' pitcher stepped up to hand East Mecklenburg a 15-0 shutout two weeks ago.
Maliyah Alexander made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Emma Wrangham
| 04/10/25 @ East Mecklenburg | 3 |
| 04/04/25 vs Garinger | 2 |
| 03/25/25 @ Butler | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Rocky River | 2 |
| 03/03/25 @ Mallard Creek | 2 |
In other batting news, Emma Wrangham was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Natalie Johnson was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Independence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask A.L. Brown). They were the clear victors by a 19-2 margin over West Cabarrus on Tuesday. The Wonders haven't had any issues with the Wolverines recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Like Independence, A.L. Brown also got a great game from a two-way player: Kaylee Dunning. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Dunning was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, A.L. Brown got a massive performance out of Madyson Baker, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Mary Katherine Black, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
Independence pushed their record up to 17-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.5 runs over those games. As for A.L. Brown, their win bumped their record up to 9-6-1.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Independence hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .413. However, it's not like A.L. Brown struggles in that department as they've averaged .381. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Independence might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from A.L. Brown in their previous meeting back in March of 2016. Can the Patriots avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
