The Ridgeview Panthers will face off against the Clay Blue Devils at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Ridgeview is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
Bolles hit Ridgeview with a four-run seventh inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers fell 9-6 to the Bulldogs.
Saige Bialek spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hannah Smith was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that she has brought in this season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Clay, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Bradford a 10-0 shutout on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Blue Devils, who have now won five contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Clay let Hailey Hackett and D'Reah Watson run wild. Hackett went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run, while Watson went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Kaelye Rouw was another key player, earning two RBI and one run.
Clay was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .381. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Clay has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-10 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Ridgeview, their loss dropped their record down to 7-10.
Ridgeview came out on top in a nail-biter against Clay in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 4-2. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
