Softball Recap: Grassfield's Luck Takes a Turn for the Worse on Thursday

Grizzlies

Previous 5 Games

05/01/25 vs Western Branch	3-4
04/29/25 @ King's Fork	11-0
04/24/25 @ Nansemond River	11-2
04/22/25 vs Indian River	6-1
04/21/25 vs Smithfield	10-0

Grassfield dropped their record down to 11-2 on Thursday, which also ended the team's ten-game streak of wins. They fell just short of the Western Branch Bruins by a score of 4-3. The contest marked the Grizzlies' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.

Braelyn Bailey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on eight hits and racked up eight Ks.

At the plate, EG Hatcher was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and one run. Another player making a difference was Addi Casassa, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

As for Western Branch, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games.

On Western Branch's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Haylee Bandura gave up only one earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits and racked up seven Ks. Bandura has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Marissa Bernheimer was incredible, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run and three RBI. She is on a roll when it comes to RBI, as she's now brought in three or more in each of the last three games she's played. Maddie Lemasters was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Grassfield will challenge Kellam at 5:45 p.m. on Monday. The Knights will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last. As for Western Branch, they will be playing at home against Nansemond-Suffolk Academy at 5:45 p.m. on Monday.