The Nelsonville-York Buckeyes will take on the Millersport Lakers at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
Nelsonville-York took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Everything went their way against Alexander as they made off with a 12-2 win.
Lilly Gura made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Gura was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
In other batting news, Emmie Fowler and Hallie Koerner did most of the damage at the plate: Fowler went 1-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI, while Koerner went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was Fowler's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of McKinley Nungester, who went 2-for-3 with three runs.
Nelsonville-York was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Millersport entered their tilt with Miller on Thursday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They were the clear victors by a 17-3 margin over the Falcons. The Lakers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by six runs or more this season.
Kendyl Bonkowski made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 12 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Millersport let Emma Raver and Claire Haney run wild. Raver went 3-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and one double, while Haney got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Scarlet Sheets was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Millersport's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Nelsonville-York, their victory ended a seven-game drought at home dating back to last season and bumped them up to 4-3.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Nelsonville-York hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Millersport struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
