Fort Bragg and St. Helena are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Fort Bragg Timberwolves will play host again on Friday to welcome the St. Helena Saints, where first pitch is scheduled at 4:00 p.m. Fort Bragg is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.1 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Fort Bragg came up short against Clear Lake and fell 12-9.
Andrea Escobedo was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She struck out six batters over 6.1 innings while giving up four earned (and three unearned) runs off only two hits. Escobedo has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances. Escobedo was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
In other batting news, Autumn Baxman was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with five RBI, a run, and a double. Another player making a difference was Lemara Hendricks, who scored three runs and stole two bases.
Meanwhile, St. Helena stacked a sixth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Middletown as St. Helena made off with a 16-2 win. While fans of St. Helena might be used to big wins, the 14-run margin marked the team's biggest one yet.
Like Fort Bragg, St. Helena also got a great game from a two-way player: Ada Blanton. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Blanton was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, St. Helena got a massive performance out of Ellie Carmichael, who scored four runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Blythe Brakesman was another key contributor, going 3-for-3 with two triples, two runs, and two RBI.
Fort Bragg has not been sharp recently as the team has lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season. As for St. Helena, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-4.
Both the pair just can't seem to miss. Fort Bragg has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.9 hits per game. However, it's not like St. Helena struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.2. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fort Bragg might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from St. Helena in their previous matchup back in March. Will Fort Bragg have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
