Branford is 0-10 against North Haven since April of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Branford Hornets will head out on the road to face off against the North Haven Nighthawks at 7:00 p.m.
Last Thursday, it was a hard-fought contest, but Branford had to settle for a 4-3 loss against Shelton. Branford has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Shelby Burnham put in work no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 16 batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Burnham was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a run, and an RBI.
In other batting news, Madigan Lawler was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI.
Even though they lost, Branford was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shelton didn't hit any.
Meanwhile, North Haven faced Sheehan in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. North Haven's pitcher stepped up to hand Sheehan an 11-0 shutout. Considering North Haven has won 11 games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Like Branford, North Haven also got a great game from a two-way player: Gabriella Blanchard. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. Blanchard has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Blanchard was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alyssa Ferriouolo, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Emelia Brandi was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Branford's defeat dropped their record down to 4-10. As for North Haven, they pushed their record up to 14-2 with that win, which was their 20th straight on the road dating back to last season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Branford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like North Haven struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Branford might still be hurting after the 20-1 loss they got from North Haven in their previous matchup back in April. Can Branford avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
