The Fairhope Pirates will head out to challenge the Daphne Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Daphne will be up against a hot Fairhope team: the squad just extended their winning streak to nine. The Pirates blew past Baldwin County 10-3 on Thursday. Fairhope's win was all the more impressive since the Tigers were averaging only 2.24 runs allowed on the season.
McKenzie DuBois spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits.
At the plate, Fairhope let Briley Bolden and Anna Bumpers run wild. Bolden went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Bumpers scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. What's more, Bumpers posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in March. Emma Stewart was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Fairhope hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, while Daphne put up plenty of runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Baldwin County. The Trojans were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over the Tigers. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Trojans.
Victoria Moten was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 19 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Hannah Newport was a standout: she scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Karsyn Barnett, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Fairhope's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 23-8. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Daphne, their record now sits at 29-5.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Fairhope hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .323. However, it's not like Daphne struggles in that department as they've averaged .356. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Fairhope suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Daphne when the teams last played back in March. Can the Pirates avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
