Nazareth Area has gone a perfect 6-0 against Pleasant Valley recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Blue Eagles will face off against the Bears at 11:00 a.m. Nazareth Area's pitching crew has only allowed 2.2 runs per game this season, so Pleasant Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Nazareth Area and Whitehall meet (four straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Tuesday. The Blue Eagles came out on top against the Zephyrs by a score of 7-2.
Kylie Grover
| 04/15/25 @ Whitehall | 9 |
| 04/09/25 @ Easton Area | 12 |
| 03/28/25 @ Bethlehem Catholic | 12 |
| 03/21/25 vs Northwestern Lehigh | 5 |
Kylie Grover spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up nine Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Nazareth Area let Alina Weaver and Emma Infantino run wild. Weaver went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI, while Infantino scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Taylor Friel, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Pleasant Valley). They blew past East Stroudsburg South 24-14 on Tuesday. Considering the Bears have won seven matchups by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Brianca Pridham, who fired off three home runs, ten RBI, and four runs while going 5-for-5. Those five hits gave her a new career-high. Emma DePalma was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one home run, four runs, and three RBI.
Pleasant Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .528. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in five consecutive contests.
Pleasant Valley is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.4 runs over those games. As for Nazareth Area, their record now sits at 8-2.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Nazareth Area hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .366. However, it's not like Pleasant Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .428. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Nazareth Area beat Pleasant Valley 5-2 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
