Oakwood is 5-0 against Blue Ridge since March of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Oakwood Comets will head out on the road to face off against the Blue Ridge Knights at 4:30 p.m. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
While Oakwood couldn't quite beat Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] on Tuesday, the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 13-point loss they were dealt on Monday. Oakwood fell just short of Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] by a score of 10-8. Oakwood has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Caydence Vermillion put in work while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Vermillion was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Samantha Dunavan made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Bella Bradford was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Oakwood didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 11 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Blue Ridge was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They fell just short of Armstrong by a score of 9-8.
Like Oakwood, Blue Ridge also got a great game from a two-way player: Ellie Schlieper. She struck out 14 batters over 8.1 innings while giving up five earned (and five unearned) runs off 13 hits. Schlieper was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Cassie Zimmerman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with two triples, three RBI, and a stolen base. Another player making a difference was Addison Roos, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Oakwood's record now sits at 1-4. As for Blue Ridge, their record now sits at 1-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Oakwood has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Blue Ridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.3. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Oakwood beat Blue Ridge 8-3 in their previous matchup back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Oakwood since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
