King's Fork is 1-9 against Western Branch since March of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Bulldogs are taking a road trip to challenge the Bruins at 5:45 p.m. King's Fork will be strutting in after a victory while Western Branch will be coming in after a defeat.
King's Fork barely beat Oscar Smith the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Bulldogs blew past the Tigers 14-4 on Thursday. Considering the Bulldogs have won four contests by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Meanwhile, Western Branch faced Nansemond-Suffolk Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Bruins fell just short of the Saints by a score of 5-3. The Bruins' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Haylee Bandura spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Maddie Lemasters made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two triples, two RBI, and one run.
The win got King's Fork back to even at 6-6-1. As for Western Branch, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-3.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. King's Fork hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .396. However, it's not like Western Branch struggles in that department as they've averaged .399. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
King's Fork might still be hurting after the 16-0 loss they got from Western Branch in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
