Branford is 1-9 against Lafayette since March of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Buccaneers will challenge the Hornets at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Branford sitting on ten straight victories and Lafayette on 13.
Branford is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They skirted past Union County 4-2.
Patrick Williams made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Williams wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Troy Roberts, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Lafayette put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Hilliard. The Hornets put the hurt on the Red Flashes with a sharp 10-0 win. The Hornets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
The result came thanks to Ethan Tuten's shutout, as he gave up just two hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brayden Richardson, who went 2-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Hyatt Richardson, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Lafayette was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. The last time their batting average was this high was back in February.
Branford's record now sits at 21-6. As for Lafayette, their record is now 19-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Branford has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lafayette struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Branford couldn't quite finish off Lafayette in their previous matchup back in March and fell 2-0. Can the Buccaneers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
