The Madison Blue Streaks will take on the Bedford Bearcats at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Madison's win against Geneva wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Blue Streaks had just enough and edged out the Eagles 4-3. The victory continues a trend for the Blue Streaks in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won three in a row.
Joey Dodick looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on NathaN YarNell, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Ben Amos was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bedford, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over Maple Heights on Wednesday.
Daniel Bridgeforth was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Bridgeforth was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, JJ Hudson was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Bedford is 2-1 when Hudson posts two or more runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Damarion Gordon, who earned two runs and three stolen bases.
Bedford pushed their record up to 3-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Madison, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Madison has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bedford struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
