Blackman hasn't had much luck against Oakland recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Blaze are taking a road trip to face off against the Patriots at 6:30 p.m. Oakland took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Blackman, who comes in off a win.
Blackman made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Riverdale, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Blaze blew past the Warriors 18-3 on Tuesday. Considering the Blaze have won six contests by more than eight runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Blackman got a massive performance out of Sophia Sullivan, who scored four runs while going 4-for-4. Danyela Ptaszek also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Blackman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .759. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Oakland fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Silverdale Academy on Monday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Seahawks by a score of 3-2. The Patriots' defeat signaled the end of their nine-game winning streak.
Taylor Minnick spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits.
On the hitting side, Chloe Aaron was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Jada Ellison was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Blackman pushed their record up to 10-8 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.7 runs over those games. As for Oakland, their loss dropped their record down to 12-3-1.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Blackman hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .387. However, it's not like Oakland struggles in that department as they've averaged .332. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Blackman couldn't quite finish off Oakland in their previous meeting back in March and fell 5-3. Can the Blaze avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
