The Bradford Tornadoes will square off against the Union County Fightin' Tigers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bradford's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 16-0 margin over Eastside. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Tornadoes.
Kolee Lemire made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Furthermore, she didn't allow a single walk, the first time she has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Kallie Yowell was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Regan Adams was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI.
Bradford was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .480. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Union County had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. Everything went their way against the Blue Wave as they made off with a 14-3 win.
Like Bradford, Union County also got a great game from a two-way player: Emma Handley. She struck out nine batters over four innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits. Handley was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played.
In other batting news, Mackenzie Orton and Shyla Crowe did most of the damage at the plate: Orton scored three runs and stole Two bases., while Crowe scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Campbell Webb, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Union County's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.6 runs on average over those games. As for Bradford, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Bradford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .464. However, it's not like Union County struggles in that department as they've averaged .442. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bradford came out on top in a nail-biter against Union County in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 5-3. Does Bradford have another victory up their sleeve, or will Union County turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
