vs
| 05/15/24 - Home | 4-0 W |
| 03/26/24 - Away | 8-0 W |
| 05/09/23 - Away | 11-1 W |
| 03/23/23 - Home | 6-3 W |
| 05/10/22 - Home | 14-1 W |
| + 5 more games |
Western Branch is 9-1 against Deep Creek since May of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. Western Branch will take on Deep Creek at 5:45 p.m. Western Branch is coming into the game hot, having won their last three games.
Western Branch gave up the first runs last Monday, but they didn't let that get them down. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Kellam 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bruins have posted since May 7, 2024.
Miles Melescu spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits.
At the plate, Western Branch's victory was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Carter Walter, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Another was Ian Taylor, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Western Branch hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in six consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Deep Creek). They came out on top against Manor by a score of 8-4 on Wednesday. The Hornets haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Owen Hoertt made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. Hoertt was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tristin Mosley, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Jaydin Frame also deserves some recognition as he scored his first runs of the season.
Western Branch's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-0. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average this season. As for Deep Creek, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-3.
Deep Creek's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Western Branch hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .316. It's a different story for Deep Creek, though, as they've only averaged .155. Will they be able to contain Western Branch's hitters?
Western Branch was able to grind out a solid win over Deep Creek in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 4-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Western Branch since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
