The James River Midlothian Rapids are taking a road trip to square off against the Monacan Chiefs at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. James River Midlothian is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak.
James River Midlothian couldn't beat L.C. Bird on Thursday even though they stacked six runs on them in the sixth inning. The Rapids fell just short of the Skyhawks by a score of 12-11. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Hailey Metacarpa made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with four runs, two stolen bases, and one triple. She continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Avery Absher also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last contest, Monacan made sure to put some runs up on the board against Richmond High School for the Arts on Thursday. The Chiefs put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 21-1 win. That 20 run margin sets a new team best for the Chiefs this season.
Emori Burns and Caryline Hugenberg were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Burns pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Hugenberg tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Burns got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs, while Hugenberg went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one stolen base. Those two stolen bases gave Burns a new career-high.
In other batting news, Katelyn Marshall was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four runs, five RBI, and one triple. Those five RBI gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of J'Ael Lewis, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and one double.
Monacan always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .879. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
James River Midlothian's defeat dropped their record down to 2-11. As for Monacan, their victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-10.
James River Midlothian might still be hurting after the 21-12 loss they got from Monacan in their previous matchup last Tuesday. Can the Rapids avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.