Blue Ridge is 0-5 against Oakwood since March of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Blue Ridge Knights will be playing at home against the Oakwood Comets at 4:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Blue Ridge was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They fell just short of Armstrong by a score of 9-8.
Ellie Schlieper was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she struck out 14 batters over 8.1 innings while giving up five earned (and five unearned) runs off 13 hits. Schlieper was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Cassie Zimmerman made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with two triples, three RBI, and a stolen base. Another player making a difference was Addison Roos, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Even though they lost, Blue Ridge didn't let batters stay on the plate for long and finished the game with 14 strikeouts. That's the most strikeouts they've managed all season.
While Oakwood couldn't quite beat Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] on Tuesday, the two-point margin was a huge improvement compared to the 13-point loss they were dealt on Monday. Oakwood fell just short of Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] by a score of 10-8. Oakwood has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Like Blue Ridge, Oakwood also got a great game from a two-way player: Caydence Vermillion. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up five earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Vermillion was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Samantha Dunavan was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring a run and stealing three bases while going 2-for-4. Gracie Hanner was another key contributor, going 1-for-3 with a triple, a stolen base, and a run.
Blue Ridge's defeat dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Oakwood, their loss dropped their record down to 1-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Blue Ridge has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Oakwood struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.8. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Blue Ridge came up short against Oakwood when the teams last played back in March of 2023, falling 8-3. Will Blue Ridge have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
