With a playoff game on the line, Wakefield rose to the challenge on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over the Lumberton Pirates. Winning may never get old, but Wakefield sure is getting used to it with their 12th in a row.
Dayna Bland spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 17 consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brianna Riehle, who went 1-for-3 with a home run. Brenna Colleran was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
On Lumberton's side, they also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Halona Sampson gave up only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits and racked up seven Ks.
Wakefield's victory was their 17th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 24-2. As for Lumberton, their loss ended a 13-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 24-5.
Wakefield will play host again on Friday to welcome Wake Forest, where first pitch is scheduled at 5:00 p.m. The pair have allowed few runs on average, (Wake Forest: 2.7, Wakefield: 1.5) so any runs scored will be well earned. Lumberton does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
