The West Middlesex Big Reds will square off against the Franklin Knights at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. West Middlesex is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.6 runs per game this season.
West Middlesex took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They walked away with a 5-1 win over Rocky Grove. The Big Reds haven't had any issues with the Orioles recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Harper Nickel spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
Allison Blanton
| 05/14/25 vs Rocky Grove | 3 |
| 05/01/25 vs Reynolds | 2 |
| 04/09/25 @ Farrell | 2 |
| 05/13/25 @ Sharpsville | 1 |
| 04/17/25 @ Reynolds | 1 |
On the hitting side, Allison Blanton was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Franklin). Everything went their way against Warren on Friday as they made off with a 17-7 win. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Knights as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Jersey Swartz made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed six innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off 11 hits. Swartz was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Franklin got a massive performance out of Gabrielle Laderer, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Jillian Ewing, who got on base in four of her five plate appearances with four runs.
Franklin always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Franklin's win bumped their record up to 4-13. As for West Middlesex, their victory bumped their record up to 7-9.
Franklin's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. West Middlesex has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Franklin, though, as they've been averaging only 3.2 strikeouts. Will West Middlesex keep running through batters, or will the Knights buck the trend? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
