The West Branch Warriors are taking a road trip to square off against the Williamsburg Blue Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
West Branch came out on top against Mount Union on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run fourth inning. The Warriors took their game against the Trojans 10-7. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won seven in a row.
Makena Moore was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up five earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than nine strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Layla Thompson
| 04/28/25 @ Mount Union | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Mount Union | 1 |
| 03/28/25 @ Portage | 1 |
| 03/19/25 @ Glendale | 1 |
| 06/06/24 @ Chartiers-Houston | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Layla Thompson, who went 2-for-5 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Mackenzie Mactavish also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen bases of the season.
Meanwhile, Williamsburg was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their 22nd straight defeat dating back to last season. They lost 36-14 to Northern Bedford County. On the bright side, the 14- run effort marked the Blue Pirates' highest-scoring matchup to date.
Bella Stromyar made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Payton Davis, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Williamsburg's loss dropped their record down to 0-12. As for West Branch, their record now sits at 10-2.
Williamsburg's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. West Branch has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.3 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Williamsburg, though, as they've been averaging only 2.9 strikeouts. Will West Branch keep running through batters, or will the Blue Pirates buck the trend?
Everything went West Branch's way against Williamsburg when the teams last played back in March, as West Branch made off with a 19-4 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
