The McGraw Eagles will square off against the Hamilton Emerald Knights at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (McGraw 3.6, Hamilton 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between McGraw and Stockbridge Valley, and Stockbridge Valley kept the tradition alive. The Eagles took an 11-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Indians last Tuesday. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Eagles, who until this contest were averaging 3.59 runs allowed.
McGraw saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Remington Stull, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. Katie Millard also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Hamilton had no problem doing just that on Friday. They blew past the Patriots 17-0. The win was familiar territory for the Emerald Knights, who have now won nine matchups in a row.
Ellie Freeth made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with two triples. That's the most triples she has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Adriana Catania was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Alexis LaFrance was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
Hamilton was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .545. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Hamilton's record now sits at 15-2. As for McGraw, their loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 13-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. McGraw has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hamilton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
