Solvay hasn't had much luck against Westhill recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Bearcats will be playing in front of their home fans against the Warriors at 4:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Solvay 4, Westhill 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Solvay was handed a nine-run loss in their previous outing, but that didn't affect their clutch gene on Wednesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Chilhowie, sneaking past 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bearcats have posted since May 9, 2024.
Meanwhile, Westhill had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.8 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Thursday. Everything went their way against the Lakers as they made off with a 12-2 win. That looming 12-2 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Warriors yet this season.
Pete Stroman made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Stroman was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
In other batting news, Tommy Hunt and Kellen Pens did most of the damage at the plate: Hunt got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs, while Pens went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those runs were Hunt's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Eric Holstein, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Westhill always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .559. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Westhill's victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Solvay, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Solvay might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from Westhill in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Bearcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
