Bell is 2-8 against Branford since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. Bell will be playing in front of their home fans against Branford at 7:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Bell's victory against Cedar Key wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Bell's pitchers stepped up to hand Cedar Key a 1-0 shutout on Monday. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Sharks recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Jackson Philman made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Bell is 6-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 4-6 otherwise. Philman was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Philman wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Rocco Iovinelli, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Branford made easy work of Wakulla Christian School on Friday and carried off an 8-2 victory. The Buccaneers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Like Bell, Branford also got a great game from a two-way player: Patrick Williams. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over 5.1 innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave Williams a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Keaton Brown, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Holston Frazier, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Branford was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wakulla Christian School only posted a batting average of .080.
Branford's win was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. As for Bell, their win bumped their record up to 10-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bell has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Branford struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bell came up short against Branford in their previous meeting two weeks ago, falling 7-4. Will Bell have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
