The Fairmont Senior Polar Bears will head out on the road to take on the Grafton Bearcats at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Fairmont Senior is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.3 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Fairmont Senior needed a bit of extra time to put away East Fairmont. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Bees, sneaking past 5-4. The Polar Bears haven't had any issues with the Bees recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Michaela Egidi made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing eight innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off seven hits. Egidi was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Addison Stewart, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April.
Fairmont Senior kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Grafton duked it out with Elkins on Wednesday. The Bearcats never let the Tigers get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. Considering the Bearcats have won ten matchups by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
The result came thanks to Lillie Crimm's shutout, as she gave up just two hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one walk in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Ruth Horne was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Karigan Wildroudt was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Grafton is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-6-1 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Fairmont Senior, they pushed their record up to 12-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Fairmont Senior has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Grafton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Fairmont Senior might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Grafton in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Polar Bears avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
