Portland hasn't had much luck against North Branford recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Highlanders will be playing at home against the Thunderbirds at 4:00 p.m. Portland has given up an average of 15.4 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Monday just wasn't the day for Portland's offense. They lost 13-0 to Valley Regional on Monday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Meanwhile, North Branford put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They never let Cromwell get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. Give the Thunderbirds' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Lauren Vitarisi made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Alia Martone, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Lexi Falcioni, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base.
North Branford pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Portland, their loss dropped their record down to 2-5.
Portland suffered a grim 23-0 defeat to North Branford in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Highlanders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
