The Rome Free Academy Black Knights will face off against the Lancaster Legends at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Rome Free Academy will bounce into Saturday's matchup after beating Baldwinsville, who they had gone 1-8 against in their nine prior meetings. The Black Knights put the hurt on the Bees with a sharp 7-1 win on Sunday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Black Knights.
Haylee Bostwick and Alexa Thompson did most of the damage at the plate: Bostwick went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI, while Thompson got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most RBI Bostwick has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Madison Safin, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, it's playoff time, and Lancaster had no trouble coming through when it counted. Everything went their way against Rush-Henrietta on Wednesday as they made off with an 11-2 victory. The win was familiar territory for the Legends, who have now won four games in a row.
Alyssa Brunner made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over seven innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Peytyn Chojnacki, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Leah Dowling was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Lancaster kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive contests.
Rome Free Academy pushed their record up to 14-6 with the victory, which was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Lancaster, their victory bumped their record up to 14-5.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rome Free Academy has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. However, it's not like Lancaster struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
