Willow Spring extended their losing streak to three on Thursday, dropping them down to 8-14. They lost 9-3 to the Apex Friendship Patriots. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Patriots this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 8-3 on Monday.
Willow Spring saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Tommy Collins, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Ryder Randolph was another, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run.
As for Apex Friendship, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games.
On Apex Friendship's side, Connor Sousa was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts Sousa has posted since back in March. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI.
In other pitching news, Logan Seepers looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Braden Bloom, who went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Apex Friendship is 4-2 when Bloom posts two or more runs, but 7-8 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Genna, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Willow Spring is set to square off against their familiar foe Jordan at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Apex Friendship will face off against rival Panther Creek at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
