The Bellwood-Antis Blue Devils will face off against the Bedford Bisons at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Bellwood-Antis was able to grind out a solid victory over Penns Valley Area, taking the game 5-2.
Palynn Gregg
| 04/01/25 @ Penns Valley Area | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 1 |
| 03/24/25 @ West Branch | 1 |
Palynn Gregg spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on two hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Parker Martin, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4. London McKee was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Bedford hadn't done well against Bishop McCort recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Bisons put the hurt on the Crushers with a sharp 16-4 win. Considering the Bisons have won four matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Emma Byers was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over six innings pitched. Byers was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one triple. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Bailey Mickle was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Rebekah Costal, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Bedford kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Bellwood-Antis' first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-4. As for Bedford, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bellwood-Antis has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bedford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bellwood-Antis suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to Bedford when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Blue Devils avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
