The Interboro Buccaneers will face off against Pope John Paul II at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Interboro sitting on eight straight victories and Pope John Paul II on three.
Interboro's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. Everything went their way against Penn Wood as they made off with a 17-0 win. The Buccaneers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by eight runs or more this season.
Sam Stavola made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Those seven strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Olivia Bulovas was a standout: she fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Mare Nagle, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base.
Interboro hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in eight consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Pope John Paul II got the win against Pottsgrove on Wednesday by a conclusive 11-1. Considering Pope John Paul II has won six matchups by more than nine runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gracyn McFall tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Abby Simmers, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and four runs. She continues to improve, besting her previous run total in each of the last three games she's played. Charlie Hallman was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Interboro's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Pope John Paul II, their record is now 11-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Interboro has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pope John Paul II struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
