James River Midlothian is 0-10 against Midlothian since April of 2019 but things could change on Thursday. The Rapids will venture away from home to face off against the Trojans at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
James River Midlothian took a loss when they played away from home back in March, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on L.C. Bird with a sharp 21-5 win. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Sam Stallard made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Hailey Metacarpa was a standout: she went 3-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Ryan DeVries was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
James River Midlothian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .641. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as L.C. Bird only posted an OBP of .481.
Meanwhile, Midlothian strolled into their game on Wednesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They never let Cosby get on the board and left with a 5-0 victory.
Not much got past Marlee Gaskell, who gave up just three hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Cosby off the board.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gianna Caranante, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one double. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Bella Moussa, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Midlothian pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.1 runs over those games. As for James River Midlothian, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. James River Midlothian has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Midlothian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
James River Midlothian might still be hurting after the 9-2 loss they got from Midlothian in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Rapids avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
