The Frontier Cougars will challenge the Shadyside Tigers at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Frontier has eight straight victories, Shadyside has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While Frontier's win against Bridgeport wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Cougars won by a run and slipped past the Bulldogs 2-1. Those two runs were actually the fewest the Cougars have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Kaycee Berentz spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Frontier's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Alexis Livingston, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Shadyside fell victim to Caldwell and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Redskins, falling 10-0.
Frontier pushed their record up to 8-0 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Shadyside, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-5.
Shadyside's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Frontier hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. It's a different story for Shadyside, though, as they've only averaged .206. Will they be able to contain Frontier's hitters?
Everything went Frontier's way against Shadyside when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Frontier made off with an 8-0 win. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
