Softball Game Preview: West Scranton Invaders vs. Holy Cross Crusaders

The West Scranton Invaders are taking a road trip to challenge the Holy Cross Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. West Scranton's pitching crew has only allowed 2.5 runs per game this season, so Holy Cross' hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Tuesday just wasn't the day for West Scranton's offense. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of Mid Valley on Tuesday. The defeat continues a trend for the Invaders in their meetings with the Spartans: they've now lost three in a row.

Kaleiah Connor spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.

Meanwhile, Holy Cross got themselves on the board against Carbondale Area on Thursday, but Carbondale Area never followed suit. They blew past the Chargers 12-0.

AVA SCHMIDT 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 ten over five innings pitched. SCHMIDT was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run.

In other batting news, Holy Cross got a massive performance out of JULES GALELLA, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. MIA GALELLA was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and three runs.

Holy Cross lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in April of 2024.

West Scranton's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Holy Cross, their record is now 2-0.

West Scranton skirted past Holy Cross 4-3 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for West Scranton since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.