The Maiden Blue Devils will head out on the road to take on the Foard Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Maiden will be strutting in after a win while Foard will be coming in after a loss.
Maiden is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against West Caldwell on Tuesday. Maiden blew past West Caldwell 16-2. That looming 16-2 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Blue Devils yet this season.
Kam Fulbright
Kam Fulbright was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). He has become a key player for Maiden: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-3 otherwise. Fulbright was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Maiden got a big performance out of Brock Artavia, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances. That stolen base was Artavia's first of the season. Graham Lang was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-1.
Maiden always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .590. The last time their OBP was this high was back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, Foard is still winless after their game against Bunker Hill on Monday, but the team can take solace in the fact it was the closest they've come to winning. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of the Bears. Tigers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Bears since on Monday.
Foard saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Conner Leska, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Maiden has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. Foard's defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Maiden has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Foard struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Maiden might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Foard in their previous matchup back in March of 2022. Can Maiden avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
