The Branford Hornets are taking a road trip to challenge the Bunnell Bulldogs at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Branford's hitters haven't had much luck over their past five matchups, but Wednesday's contest will give them a chance to turn things around.
Branford fell victim to Foran and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They lost 18-0 to the Lions.
Meanwhile, Bunnell hadn't done well against Notre Dame Prep recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Bulldogs blew past the Lancers 13-3. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by eight runs or more this season.
Leilani Navarro made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 5-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Those five hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Bella Caramanica was incredible, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Elisa Cabrera, who got on base in three of her five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Bunnell was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
The win snapped Bunnell's losing streak at four games and leaves them with a 10-9 record. As for Branford, their loss dropped their record down to 5-13.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Branford has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bunnell struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Branford came out on top in a nail-biter against Bunnell in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, sneaking past 6-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hornets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
