The Silver Bluff Bulldogs are taking a road trip to face off against the Horse Creek Academy Stallions at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Silver Bluff got the win against Swansea by a conclusive 15-4. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.
Ryley Bowman tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over 5.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Silver Bluff let Haeley Bowman and Isabella Kent run wild. Bowman went 3-for-4 with two triples, four RBI, and two runs, while Kent went 2-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those two triples gave Bowman a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kerington Weathersbee, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Silver Bluff always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Swansea only posted an OBP of .407.
Meanwhile, Horse Creek Academy came tearing into Friday's match with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Trojans a 13-0 shutout.
Adrien Beak made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over four innings pitched. Beak was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Allie Stuart, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Halle Puckett also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Horse Creek Academy pushed their record up to 12-5 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Silver Bluff, their record is now 9-7.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Silver Bluff has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .517. However, it's not like Horse Creek Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .442. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Silver Bluff suffered a grim 7-1 defeat to Horse Creek Academy in their previous meeting back in March. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
