The Maiden Blue Devils will head out to take on the Bunker Hill Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last four games Maiden has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Friday, Maiden narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Bandys 4-2.
Collin Chappel made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 14 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and one triple. He has become a key player for Maiden: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three RBI, but 6-7 otherwise.
Brycen James
| 03/21/25 vs Lincolnton | 5 |
| 03/13/25 @ Foard | 3 |
| 04/04/25 vs Bandys | 2 |
| 04/02/25 vs North Gaston | 2 |
| 03/07/25 vs West Lincoln | 2 |
| + 7 more games |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brycen James, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 3-for-3. He is becoming a predictor of Maiden's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 5-1 (and 5-6 when he doesn't). Blake Lackey was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Bunker Hill didn't have quite enough to beat East Burke on Friday and fell 4-3. The Bears have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Kamden Bortz was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-3.
Maiden is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for Bunker Hill, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Maiden has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bunker Hill struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Maiden was able to grind out a solid win over Bunker Hill when the teams last played back in March, winning 8-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Devils since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
