Pocono Mountain West hasn't had much luck against Stroudsburg recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Panthers will venture away from home to face off against the Mountaineers at 4:00 p.m. Pocono Mountain West has given up an average of 9.3 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Pleasant Valley hit Pocono Mountain West with a five-run first inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Panthers came up short against the Bears, falling 13-3. The Panthers just can't catch a break and have now endured three defeats in a row.
Pocono Mountain West saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Chloe Straub, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one double. Ana Yuter also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Stroudsburg made easy work of East Stroudsburg North on Tuesday and carried off a 17-2 win. The Mountaineers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Ella Fagan-Huse made a splash no matter where she played. She pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Madison Perez, who fired off two home runs, seven RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Melissa Safin, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Stroudsburg was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .679. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Stroudsburg is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Pocono Mountain West, their loss dropped their record down to 3-11.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pocono Mountain West hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. However, it's not like Stroudsburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .369. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pocono Mountain West suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Stroudsburg in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
