Spartans
| 05/07/25 vs Central Catholic | 2 |
| 05/05/25 vs Ellwood City | 11 |
| 04/29/25 @ Baldwin | 8 |
| 04/28/25 vs Baldwin | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs Central Valley | 9 |
| + 14 more games |
The Montour Spartans will venture away from home to challenge the Blackhawk Cougars at 3:45 p.m. on Thursday. Montour is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.7 runs per game this season.
Central Catholic hit Montour with a four-run second inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Spartans fell 6-2 to the Vikings. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, the Spartans couldn't push the score so high this time.
Michael Ivanoff was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He struck out seven batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). Furthermore, he didn't allow a single walk, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Blackhawk came out on top against Hopewell on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run fifth inning. The Cougars blew past the Vikings 10-4. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.
Blackhawk also got a great performance from Aiden Gill as he pitched five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. What's more, Gill posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Logan Elich was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Connor Welsh also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
The win made it two in a row for Blackhawk and bumps their season record up to 10-6. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Montour, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-8.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Montour has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .448. However, it's not like Blackhawk struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Montour's way against Blackhawk in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Montour made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
