The Great Bridge Wildcats will challenge the Bayside Marlins at 5:45 p.m. on Friday. Great Bridge's hitters haven't had much luck over their past three games, but Friday's contest will give them a chance to turn things around.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Great Bridge's offense. They fell just short of Ocean Lakes by a score of 1-0 on Thursday. The matchup marked the first time this season in which the Wildcats were not able to get on the board.
Bailey Bliven spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on five hits and racked up ten Ks.
Bayside came out on top against Princess Anne on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run first inning. The Marlins put the hurt on the Cavaliers with a sharp 10-3 win. Considering the Marlins have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Carli Melton and Kennedy Allen made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Melton didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. Meanwhile, Allen pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. Melton has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances. At bat, Melton went 3-for-4 with two triples, four RBI, and two runs, while Allen went 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most hits Melton has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Madison Matthews was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Those three runs gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Hannah Kirschman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Bayside kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Bayside pushed their record up to 9-10 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Great Bridge, their loss dropped their record down to 15-6.
Great Bridge came out on top in a nail-biter against Bayside in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-0. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Marlins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
