The Bedford Bisons will square off against the North Star Cougars at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Bedford's favor as the squad sits on six straight wins at home while North Star has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.
Bedford was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Bishop Carroll on Thursday. The Bisons' pitcher stepped up to hand the Huskies a 15-0 shutout. Considering the Bisons have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Emily Pratt
| 05/08/25 vs Bishop Carroll | 1 |
| 05/01/25 vs Greater Johnstown | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Huntingdon | 0 |
| 04/23/25 @ Hollidaysburg | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Central | 2 |
Emily Pratt made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in two of her four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other batting news, Bedford let Leah Nee and Sammi Shoemaker run wild. Nee went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and one run, while Shoemaker got on base in three of her four plate appearances with four runs and two stolen bases. That's the most stolen bases Nee has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Bailey Mickle, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs.
Bedford was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .389. They are 11-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, North Star came up short against Rockwood on Thursday and fell 9-5.
Sydney Leasure and Morgan Snyder did some serious damage despite the final result: Leasure went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI, while Snyder went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Kayley Brant was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run and one double.
Bedford is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.9 runs over those games. As for North Star, their loss dropped their record down to 4-12.
North Star's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bedford has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. It's a different story for North Star, though, as they've been averaging 9.2 hits. Given Bedford's sizable advantage in that area, the Cougars will need to find a way to close that gap.
Bedford took their victory against North Star in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Bisons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
