Western Branch is a perfect 10-0 against King's Fork since March of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Bruins will face off against the Bulldogs at 5:45 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Western Branch has three straight victories, King's Fork has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Western Branch's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Deep Creek. Considering the Bruins have won ten contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Ian Taylor
| 05/20/25 vs Deep Creek | 1 |
| 05/15/25 @ Nansemond River | 2 |
| 05/08/25 vs Hickory | 1 |
| 05/03/25 vs Highland | 2 |
Ian Taylor looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Wilson Tone, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with four stolen bases and three runs. He continues to improve, besting his previous run total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Jackson Walter, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Western Branch was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .429 or higher in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, King's Fork fell victim to Nansemond River and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They lost 16-0 to the Warriors.
King's Fork's defeat dropped their record down to 7-13. As for Western Branch, their record is now 15-5.
King's Fork's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Western Branch has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .462. It's a different story for King's Fork, though, as they've only averaged .342. Will they be able to contain Western Branch's hitters?
Everything went Western Branch's way against King's Fork in their previous meeting two weeks ago, as Western Branch made off with a 10-0 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bruins since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
