The Bradford Railroaders are taking a road trip to square off against the Ansonia Tigers at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Bradford has given up an average of 8.4 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Bradford is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 19 runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Arcanum on Thursday. They came up short against the Trojans, falling 17-0. The Railroaders have struggled against the Trojans recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meeting.
Bradford saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Chloe Elsner, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Ansonia came into Thursday's matchup having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Mississinawa Valley with a sharp 8-2 win on Thursday. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Addie Geyer made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Geyer was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shyann McKenna, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs. Jayda Mangen also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Bradford's defeat dropped their record down to 8-11. As for Ansonia, the victory got them back to even at 7-7.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bradford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .452. However, it's not like Ansonia struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bradford might still be hurting after the 10-1 loss they got from Ansonia when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Railroaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
