Branford is 2-7 against Shelton since May of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Hornets will host the Gaels at 4:15 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Branford will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Hamden on Thursday. The Hornets came out on top against the Green Dragons by a score of 12-2 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).
Shelby Burnham spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 19 Ks.
Sophia Rasile
| 04/10/25 @ Hamden | 4 |
| 05/20/24 @ Hillhouse | 3 |
| 04/10/24 @ Career Magnet | 2 |
| 03/30/24 vs Bunnell | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Old Lyme | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Sophia Rasile, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and four RBI. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Tia Graziano, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-5.
Meanwhile, Shelton got the win against Hand on Wednesday by a conclusive 18-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Gaels.
Sammi Denihan made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Denihan was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Chayse DellaRocco was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Avery Wheeler was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
Shelton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hand only posted an OBP of .304.
Shelton's win bumped their record up to 2-0. As for Branford, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.
