The Vestal Golden Bears will venture away from home to challenge the Chenango Valley Warriors at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Vestal's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Chenango Valley's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Vestal will head out to face Chenango Valley after giving up their first home loss of the season on Thursday. The Golden Bears took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of Maine-Endwell.
Chenango Valley came out on top against Seton Catholic Central on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run fifth inning. The Warriors were the clear victors by a 14-3 margin over the Saints. The result was nothing new for the Warriors, who have now won four games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Abby Cron made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, Colsten Beers and Mackenzie Hubenthal did most of the damage at the plate: Beers went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base, while Hubenthal went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That double was Hubenthal's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Amelia Paske, who got on base in two of her four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Chenango Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Seton Catholic Central only posted an OBP of .238.
Chenango Valley's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-3. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Vestal, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 6-2.
Vestal came out on top in a nail-biter against Chenango Valley in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 1-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Golden Bears since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
