The New Castle Hurricanes will face off against the Mars Fightin' Planets at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. New Castle is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11.2 runs per game this season.
New Castle barely beat Moniteau the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Hurricanes blew past the Warriors 14-3 on Monday. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Warriors recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
New Castle got a great performance from Lexi Moyer as she pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits. What's more, Moyer posted three strikeouts, the most she's had since back in May of 2024.
Keara Mangieri
| 04/21/25 vs Moniteau | 4 |
| 04/16/25 vs Penn Hills | 3 |
| 04/14/25 vs Plum | 3 |
| 04/07/25 @ Mars | 3 |
| 05/16/24 vs Slippery Rock | 3 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Keara Mangieri, who fired off three home runs, six RBI, and four runs while going 4-for-4. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Hood, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and two runs.
New Castle was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .440. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .300 or higher in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Mars came up short against North Hills on Monday, falling 15-3. The Fightin' Planets haven't had much luck with the Indians recently, as the team has come up short the last eight times they've met.
Sophia Soltis made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season. Allie Walukiewicz was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
New Castle's win bumped their record up to 6-7. As for Mars, their loss dropped their record down to 3-12.
New Castle's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's matchup. The Hurricanes have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Mars, though, as they've been averaging only 0.9 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will New Castle continue to outrun the ball?
New Castle took their victory against Mars in their previous matchup two weeks ago by a conclusive 19-4 score. Will the Hurricanes repeat their success, or do the Fightin' Planets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
