The Danville Ironmen will venture away from home to take on the North Schuylkill Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Danville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, Danville didn't have quite enough to beat Central Columbia and fell 6-5. The Ironmen haven't had much luck with the Bluejays recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Maclin Hickey
| 05/07/25 vs Central Columbia | 1 |
| 05/02/25 vs Selinsgrove | 1 |
| 04/29/25 @ Central Mountain | 1 |
Maclin Hickey spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and five unearned) runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Brynn Wilson made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, North Schuylkill had already won nine in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it ten on Wednesday. They didn't even let the Red Raiders on the board, marking their second-straight 15-0 shutout. Considering the Spartans have won nine matches by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Brigid Flynn, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, six RBI, and three runs. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Lindsay Brouse was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one RBI.
North Schuylkill was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .643. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
North Schuylkill pushed their record up to 12-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Danville, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-10.
Danville's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. The Ironmen have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Schuylkill, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Danville continue to outrun the ball?
Danville skirted past North Schuylkill 8-6 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ironmen since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
