The North Pocono Trojans will challenge the Abington Heights Comets at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (North Pocono 3.9, Abington Heights 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
North Pocono is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Scranton just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 5-1 to the Knights.
North Pocono saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Anthony Santaniello, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double. That double marked the first that Santaniello has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Abington Heights got the win against West Scranton on Sunday by a conclusive 16-6. The Comets might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 contests by six runs or more this season.
Harshal Patel tossed a big game, tossing 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits.
On the hitting side, Nick Bradley was incredible, going 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Thomas LaCoe was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Abington Heights kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in ten consecutive games.
Abington Heights' victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-3. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for North Pocono, their loss dropped their record down to 12-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Pocono has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Abington Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
North Pocono might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Abington Heights when the teams last played back in April. Will the Trojans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
