The Black River Pirates will head out on the road to challenge the Dalton Bulldogs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Black River will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
If Black River beats Dalton with ten runs on Saturday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Pirates put the hurt on Columbia with a sharp 10-3 victory on Friday. Considering the Pirates have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Abbey Kiser made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Kiser was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI.
Kiser wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Giuliana Hulesch, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. That's the most runs Hulesch has posted since back in March. Another was Mia Rosales, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Black River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Dalton was able to grind out a solid win over Mapleton on Friday, taking the game 12-9.
Like Black River, Dalton also got a great game from a two-way player: Skylar Fletcher. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching seven innings while giving up four earned (and five unearned) runs off seven hits. Fletcher was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lily Teague, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Hannah Wenger, who went 2-for-4 with three runs.
Black River's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Dalton, their record now sits at 8-5.
Saturday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Black River hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like Dalton struggles in that department as they've averaged .362. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
