The Daniel Boone Blazers will square off against the Hamburg Hawks at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing isn't great for Daniel Boone: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home, while Hamburg has snatched up eight consecutive wins on the road.
Daniel Boone had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 15-run drubbing they dealt Antietam on Monday. The Blazers were the clear victors by an 18-3 margin over the Mountaineers. The Blazers not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since March 25th (when they won 15-0).
Aubrey Garman was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over three innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off one hit. Garman was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Daniel Boone got a massive performance out of Vanessa Eardley, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave Eardley a new career-high. Peyton Manogue was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Daniel Boone was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .619. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Hamburg got the win against Berks Catholic on Wednesday by a conclusive 11-1. Considering the Hawks have won 12 contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Hamburg is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.9 runs on average over those games. As for Daniel Boone, their win bumped their record up to 3-13.
Daniel Boone's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's matchup. The Blazers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Hamburg, though, as they've been averaging only 0.8 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Daniel Boone continue to outrun the ball?
Daniel Boone might still be hurting after the 16-3 loss they got from Hamburg in their previous matchup back in April of 2022. Will the Blazers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
