The Mohawk Warriors will square off against the Monroeville Eagles at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mohawk is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. Everything went their way against Ayersville as they made off with a 7-1 victory. Winning may never get old, but the Warriors sure are getting used to it with their ninth in a row.
Aubrey Gottfried made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Gottfried was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mallory Brickner, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Emily Brickner was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Meanwhile, Monroeville had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.7 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over the Mustangs.
Like Mohawk, Monroeville also got a great game from a two-way player: Veanna Helmstetter. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). Helmstetter has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Madison Reiber was excellent, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Avery Rosser, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Mohawk's record now sits at 24-5. As for Monroeville, their record is now 26-3.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mohawk has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Monroeville struggles in that department as they've averaged .490. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Mohawk's way against Monroeville when the teams last played back in May of 2022, as Mohawk made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Warriors since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
