The Bethlehem Catholic Hawks will square off against the Easton Area Rovers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Bethlehem Catholic is coming into the game on a five-game losing streak.
On Wednesday, Bethlehem Catholic didn't have quite enough to beat Northampton and fell 4-3.
Madison Bixler
| 04/09/25 vs Northampton | 15 |
| 04/08/25 @ Freedom | 3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Whitehall | 5 |
| 03/28/25 vs Nazareth Area | 3 |
| 03/26/25 vs Pocono Mountain West | 6 |
| + 1 more games |
Madison Bixler spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up 15 Ks. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 6.1 strikeouts per game.
On the hitting side, Mikaila Brooks was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That home run was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, Easton Area posted their closest win since May 7, 2024 on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Nazareth Area, sneaking past 2-1. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Rovers.
Easton Area also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Audrey Rinda gave up only one earned run on one hit and racked up 16 Ks. Those 16 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for Rinda.
At the plate, Easton Area saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Gianna Koch, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Easton Area's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-4. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs over those games. As for Bethlehem Catholic, their loss dropped their record down to 2-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bethlehem Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Easton Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 13 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Bethlehem Catholic's way against Easton Area in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Bethlehem Catholic made off with a 15-5 victory. Will the Hawks repeat their success, or do the Rovers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
