The Union County Fightin' Tigers will head out on the road to take on the Branford Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Union County is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Union County came into Thursday's contest having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Everything went their way against Crescent City two weeks ago as Union County made off with an 18-8 win. Union County's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Shyla Crowe and Leanne Dicks made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Crowe pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off five hits. Meanwhile, Dicks tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits (she also only allowed one walk). At bat, Crowe scored a run while going 1-for-4, while Dicks scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances.
In other batting news, Emma Handley was incredible, scoring four runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5. The team also got some help courtesy of Jailyn Simmons, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Branford came tearing into Monday's match with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Bulldogs by a score of 7-3.
Like Union County, Branford also got a great game from a two-way player: Mallory Blue. She struck out six batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off one hit. Blue has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive pitching appearances. Blue was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI.
Blue wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Jesse Frierson, who scored a run while going 1-for-4. Cloey Criggall was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-5.
Union County's record now sits at 4-5. As for Branford, they pushed their record up to 12-3 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Union County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Branford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 per game. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Union County couldn't quite finish off Branford in their previous meeting back in February and fell 3-1. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Branford's Laila Arnold, who kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Now that Union County knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
