The Nazareth Area Blue Eagles will face off against the Pocono Mountain West Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The timing is sure in Nazareth Area's favor as the squad sits on nine straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Pocono Mountain West has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.
Nazareth Area's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Pleasant Valley. The Blue Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by six runs or more this season.
Kylie Grover
| 04/17/25 @ Pleasant Valley | 6 |
| 04/15/25 @ Whitehall | 9 |
| 04/09/25 @ Easton Area | 12 |
| 03/28/25 @ Bethlehem Catholic | 12 |
| 03/21/25 vs Northwestern Lehigh | 5 |
The result came thanks to Kylie Grover's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Makayla Ork was a standout: she went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Gianna Perillo, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
Nazareth Area always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .513. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Pleasant Valley only posted an OBP of .227.
Meanwhile, Pocono Mountain West came up short against Lehighton on Thursday and fell 12-8.
Chloe Straub made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. Sam Rider was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Nazareth Area's win bumped their record up to 9-2. As for Pocono Mountain West, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.
Nazareth Area's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's contest. The Blue Eagles have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Pocono Mountain West, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Nazareth Area continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Nazareth Area's way against Pocono Mountain West in their previous meeting back in April of 2018, as Nazareth Area made off with a 26-0 victory. Will the Blue Eagles repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
