The Bellbrook Golden Eagles will challenge the Ross Rams at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Bellbrook is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Everything went their way against West Carrollton on Thursday as they made off with a 16-5 victory.
Lauren Nicholson and Addyson Bird made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Nicholson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Bird didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (three). At bat, Nicholson went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Bird got on base in two of her four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mackenzie Walts (Defiance College), who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since April 1st. Another player making a difference was Aleina Powell, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Bellbrook hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Ross had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Wednesday. They blew past the Golden Eagles 15-5. With that win, the Rams brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Paige Baker was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Kailyn May was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Meadow Webb was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs.
Bellbrook's victory bumped their record up to 9-11. As for Ross, their win bumped their record up to 10-6.
Bellbrook suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Ross in their previous matchup on Wednesday. Will the Golden Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
