Branchville hasn't had much luck against Orangeburg Prep recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets will head out to take on the Indians at 7:00 p.m.
Branchville came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They came up short against St. John's, falling 10-4.
Brayden Jones made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Orangeburg Prep had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.3 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. They blew past the Patriots 11-4. Considering the Indians have won 14 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Bryson Williams was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out 12 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Tilden Riley was incredible, going 2-for-3 with four stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played. Morrison Burroughs was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Orangeburg Prep pushed their record up to 22-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Branchville, they now have a losing record of 7-8.
Branchville couldn't quite finish off Orangeburg Prep in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 and fell 6-4. Can the Yellow Jackets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
