Bellows Falls hasn't had much luck against Hartford recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Terriers will head out to challenge the Hurricanes at 6:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Bellows Falls is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Vermont's top teams: Springfield, who was ranked 17th at the time (Bellows Falls was ranked fifth). The Terriers blew past the Cosmos 15-5 on Monday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Terriers considering their two-run performance the game before.
Grace Hayes and Jaelyn Fletcher did most of the damage at the plate: Hayes went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI, while Fletcher got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That home run marked the first that Hayes has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Brielle Mulverhill, who went 2-for-5 with two runs and one stolen base.
Bellows Falls was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .412. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hartford). They put the hurt on Brattleboro with a sharp 15-3 win on Monday. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Bears recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Serenitee Martel made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Faith Brown, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. Annabelle Salvatore was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
Bellows Falls' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Hartford, their record now sits at 6-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bellows Falls has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hartford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bellows Falls suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to Hartford in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Terriers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
