The Franklin Pierce Cardinals will head out on the road to face off against the Fife Trojans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Franklin Pierce sitting on four straight wins and Fife on five.
On Tuesday, Franklin Pierce got the win against Steilacoom by a conclusive 9-3. Considering the Cardinals have won ten games by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Kiley Sledge
| 04/29/25 vs Steilacoom | 8 |
| 04/21/25 vs Eatonville | 7 |
| 04/19/25 @ Cascade Christian | 0 |
| 04/15/25 vs Fife | 7 |
| 03/27/25 @ Washington | 14 |
Kiley Sledge made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run, three stolen bases, and two runs.
In other batting news, Savanna Fomai was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Laneigha Garcia, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, Fife posted their closest victory since March 14th on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over Orting.
Frankie Wolfrom spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ashlynn Monroe, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Mallory Robson, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Fife hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive contests.
Franklin Pierce's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Fife, their victory bumped their record up to 11-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Franklin Pierce has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fife struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Franklin Pierce took their win against Fife in their previous matchup back in April by a conclusive 14-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
