The Westmont Hilltop Hilltoppers will square off against the Central Cambria Red Devils at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Westmont Hilltop's victory against Bedford wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Hilltoppers narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Bisons 4-2. The victory continues a trend for the Hilltoppers in their matchups with the Bisons: they've now won five in a row.
Addy Dunbar made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Dunbar wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kelsie Muto, who went 1-for-4 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Central Cambria waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Rams.
Like Westmont Hilltop, Central Cambria also got a great game from a two-way player: Keira Link. She struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. Those 15 strikeouts gave Link a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Aubrey Ruddek, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Central Cambria's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-3. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Westmont Hilltop, their win bumped their record up to 12-2.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Westmont Hilltop hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1.2 home runs per game. However, it's not like Central Cambria struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Westmont Hilltop might still be hurting after the 14-4 defeat they got from Central Cambria in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Hilltoppers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
