The Independence Blue Devils will be taking part in a tournament against the Harding Skippers at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The timing is sure in Independence's favor as the team sits on 14 straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Harding has been banged up by 12 consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Harding's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Wednesday: Independence hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Blue Devils never let Brooklyn get on the board and left with a 19-0 win on Friday. The Blue Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matches by ten runs or more this season.
Rabecca Gibson made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Paige Priebe, who fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-2. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Brooke Vollman was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
Independence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Harding lost 14-2 to Pymatuning Valley on Wednesday.
Harding saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Natalie Phillips, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. Brooklyn Reglus also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Harding's defeat dropped their record down to 1-15. As for Independence, their victory bumped their record up to 16-3.
Harding's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Independence has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. It's a different story for Harding, though, as they've been averaging 10.5 hits. Given Independence's sizable advantage in that area, the Skippers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Independence took their win against Harding when the teams last played back in April of 2019 by a conclusive 21-0 score. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Skippers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
