The Bandys Trojans will challenge the Maiden Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Bandys has struggled recently with six defeats in a row, while Maiden will arrive with three straight victories.
Bandys had taken Lincolnton down for three straight games at home, but that winning streak came to an end on Tuesday. Bandys fell just short of Lincolnton by a score of 7-6.
Cody Serventi was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Maiden ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. Everything went their way against Foard as Maiden made off with an 18-9 win. The Blue Devils' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Brycen James was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over 4.1 innings pitched. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in February of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 1-for-6. He is becoming a predictor of Maiden's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ethan Whittaker, who scored a run while going 3-for-6. Another player making a difference was Zane Williams, who got on base in five of his seven plate appearances.
Maiden kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Bandys' loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Maiden, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bandys has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Maiden struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bandys was able to grind out a solid win over Maiden when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 4-0. Does Bandys have another victory up their sleeve, or will Maiden turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
