The Pickens Blue Flame are taking a road trip to challenge the Blue Ridge Fighting Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Pickens made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Travelers Rest, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Blue Flame were the clear victors by a 19-5 margin over the Devildogs on Tuesday. The Blue Flame's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Sophie Duzan was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Duzan was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and four RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaylee Bolding, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Vivien Duzan, who scored three runs while going 1-for-3.
Pickens always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .629. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Blue Ridge came tearing into Tuesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They never let the Bulldogs get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. Considering the Fighting Tigers have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Lily Mulkey was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three doubles, two runs, and one RBI. Those three doubles gave her a new career-high. Hannah Durham was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
The victory made it two in a row for Pickens and bumps their season record up to 9-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Blue Ridge, they pushed their record up to 10-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home.
Blue Ridge's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pickens has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. It's a different story for Blue Ridge, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given Pickens' sizable advantage in that area, the Fighting Tigers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Pickens skirted past Blue Ridge 4-3 in their previous meeting back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Flame since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
