Hilltop is 0-3 against Bryan since April of 2018 but things could change on Friday. The Cadets will host the Golden Bears at 5:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Hilltop 3.1, Bryan 1.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Hilltop will face Bryan after dropping another heartbreaker against Montpelier on Thursday, which marked the second time in a row the team's come within 2.1 of beating them. The Cadets took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Locomotives. The matchup marked the first time this season in which the Cadets were not able to get on the board.
Hilltop saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Halle Jones, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Bryan had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Tigers a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Golden Bears, who have now won six contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Bryan let Mylie Vollmer and Josey Arnold run wild. Vollmer went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI, while Arnold went 2-for-3 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI. Those two doubles gave Arnold a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Averyann Fisher, who went 1-for-2 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Bryan hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Liberty Center struck out 12 times.
Bryan pushed their record up to 9-2 with the win, which was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Hilltop, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 13-3.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hilltop hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .419. However, it's not like Bryan struggles in that department as they've averaged .344. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
