The Broughton Capitals will head out on the road to square off against the Wake Forest Cougars at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Wake Forest took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on Broughton, who comes in off a win.
Last Thursday, Broughton got the win against Sanderson by a conclusive 12-2. That's two games straight that the Capitals have won by exactly ten runs.
Sam Harris looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in May of 2024.
At the plate, Broughton let Weston Rhem and Aidan Creel run wild. Rhem scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Creel scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave Creel a new career-high. John T Jones also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Broughton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in five consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Wakefield on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Wolverines by a score of 8-6. That's two games in a row now that the Cougars have lost by exactly two runs.
Ethan Brittain put in work no matter where he played. He pitched 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Brittain was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Carlos Diaz stepped up to lead a balanced group of hitters: he went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Stephen Crater was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run.
Broughton has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. Wake Forest's loss ended an 18-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 10-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Broughton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wake Forest struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Broughton suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Wake Forest in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Can Broughton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
