Mahanoy Area is 0-7 against Tamaqua since April of 2017 but things could change on Wednesday. The Golden Bears will be playing in front of their home fans against the Blue Raiders at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mahanoy Area took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Shenandoah Valley a 15-0 shutout. The Golden Bears haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Lilly Carl was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Carl was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Urijah Fazio was incredible, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in RBI (three). Ella Connolly was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Mahanoy Area always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Tamaqua hadn't beaten Lehighton on the road since May 11, 2022 but that history sure didn't bother them on Friday. The Blue Raiders were the clear victors by a 13-1 margin over the Indians. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Blue Raiders have posted against the Indians since April 25, 2019.
The team relied heavily on Molly Evans, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Ceanna Gormley, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Mahanoy Area now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Tamaqua, they now have a winning record of 4-3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mahanoy Area has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tamaqua struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mahanoy Area couldn't quite get it done against Tamaqua in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 as they fell 6-3. Can the Golden Bears avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
