The Bradford Railroaders will square off against the National Trail Blazers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
On Monday, Bradford made easy work of Union City and carried off a 12-2 victory. That looming 12-2 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Railroaders yet this season.
Lilly Canan was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April of 2024. Chloe Hocker was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, National Trail never let their opponents score on Thursday. Everything went their way against Legacy Christian Academy as they made off with a 13-0 win. The Blazers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Morgan House made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). House was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3. She also put up a triple, which was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Taylor Reynolds was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Those RBI were her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Eva Swartsell, who scored two runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
National Trail always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .519. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Legacy Christian Academy only posted an OBP of .111.
The victory made it two in a row for Bradford and bumps their season record up to 3-4. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for National Trail, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.
National Trail's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bradford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .473. It's a different story for National Trail, though, as they've only averaged .331. Will they be able to contain Bradford's hitters?
Bradford beat National Trail 5-2 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Railroaders repeat their success, or do the Blazers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
