The Swanton Bulldogs will face off against the Montpelier Locomotives at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Swanton's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. Everything went their way against Northwood as they made off with a 16-0 victory. With that win, the Bulldogs brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Montpelier, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 13-0 margin over Delta on Monday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Locomotives considering their two-run performance the match before.
Wesley Hartsock made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in 11 consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kenneth Smeltzer, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jaxon Stahler, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Montpelier pushed their record up to 15-3 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 13.0 runs over those games. As for Swanton, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Swanton has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Montpelier struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Swanton took their victory against Montpelier when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 9-3 score. Do the Bulldogs have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Locomotives turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
