The Pine-Richland Rams will challenge the Fox Chapel Foxes at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Pine-Richland will come into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
While Pine-Richland's victory against Mars wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Pine-Richland sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 win over Mars on Tuesday.
Pine-Richland got a great performance from Drew Boivin as he pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. The dominant performance also gave Boivin a new career-low in walks (zero).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Sam Heckert, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Tanner Cunningham, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Fox Chapel). They came out on top against Armstrong by a score of 13-8 on Thursday. The victory continues a trend for the Foxes in their matchups with the River Hawks: they've now won three in a row.
Franco Pistella tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over 4.1 innings pitched.
At the plate, Everett Clanton was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 4-for-4. Tristan Blum was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4.
Fox Chapel kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Fox Chapel now has a winning record of 3-2. As for Pine-Richland, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
Fox Chapel's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Pine-Richland has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Fox Chapel, though, as they've been averaging only 4 strikeouts. Will Pine-Richland keep running through batters, or will Fox Chapel buck the trend?
Pine-Richland came up short against Fox Chapel when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 6-2. Will Pine-Richland have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
