The Pittston Patriots will square off against the Hazleton Area Cougars at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hazleton Area will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Pittston extended their winning streak to 17 on Thursday. Everything went the Patriots' way against Berwick as they made off with a 9-2 victory.
Ashton Lepore looked comfortable as he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Eli Mead
| 05/01/25 @ Berwick | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs East Stroudsburg North | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Lake-Lehman | 2 |
| 04/23/25 @ Crestwood | 1 |
| 04/15/25 @ Greater Nanticoke Area | 1 |
On the hitting side, Eli Mead was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Beau Widdick, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Pittston kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Berwick only managed four hits.
Meanwhile, Hazleton Area had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They blew past the Wolfpack 10-4. Hazleton Area's win was all the more impressive since the Wolfpack were averaging only 3.76 runs allowed on the season.
Chris Peters looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Bryant Diaz, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Chris Knelly was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Pittston's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Hazleton Area, their victory bumped their record up to 11-4.
Both Pittston and Hazleton Area just can't seem to miss. The Patriots have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Hazleton Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pittston skirted past Hazleton Area 6-4 in their previous matchup back in April. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cougars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
