The Bunn Wildcats will face off against the Franklinton Red Rams at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Tuesday, Bunn made easy work of Northern Nash and carried off a 16-1 win. The victory continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Knights: they've now won nine in a row.
Bunn let Payton Wood and Madeline Bryson run wild. Wood went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple, while Bryson scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases Bryson has posted since back in February. Peyton Alford was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-4.
Bunn always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Franklinton never got on the board in their matchup on Thursday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Nash Central on Tuesday. They put the hurt on the Bulldogs with a sharp 16-5 win. Considering the Red Rams' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Madison Lada made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off eight hits. Lada was even better at the plate, scoring five runs and stealing three bases while going 4-for-5.
In other batting news, Madison Peebles and Kaylei Main did most of the damage at the plate: Peebles scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5, while Main scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Alydia Mitchell, who scored a run and stole three bases while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Bunn's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games. As for Franklinton, their victory bumped their record up to 7-5.
Franklinton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bunn has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Franklinton, though, as they've been averaging 9.2 hits. Given Bunn's sizable advantage in that area, the Red Rams will need to find a way to close that gap.
Bunn took their win against Franklinton in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 23-3 score. Will the Wildcats repeat their success, or do the Red Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
