The North Summit Braves will face off against the Grand County Red Devils at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. North Summit is coming into the contest on a five-game losing streak.
North Summit came up short against North Sevier on Wednesday, falling 19-4. That's two games in a row now that the Braves have lost by exactly 15 runs.
SAVANNAH WINDHORST was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances. She also put up a double, which was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, Grand County got the win against Rowland Hall on Thursday by a conclusive 16-1. Considering the Red Devils have won nine matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
CHLOE Byrd made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Danica Hirschfeld, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Zoey Wilson, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Grand County lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Grand County is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for North Summit, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. North Summit has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .464. However, it's not like Grand County struggles in that department as they've averaged .490. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Summit suffered a grim 8-1 defeat to Grand County in their previous meeting back in April of 2017. Will the Braves 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.
