Shaler Area is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Monday. They will look to defend their home field against the Fox Chapel Foxes at 4:00 p.m.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Shaler Area and Butler meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Friday. Shaler Area came up short against Butler, falling 10-4.
Shaler Area got a good showing from Colby Weber, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Shaler Area saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was L Schiffhauer, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That double was Schiffhauer's first of the season. Joey Rispoli was another, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Fox Chapel posted their closest win since April 19, 2024 on Friday. They had just enough and edged out Franklin Regional 6-5. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Foxes.
Tristan Blum made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Blum was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Blake Krushinski, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jeremy Haigh, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Shaler Area's defeat dropped their record down to 1-3. As for Fox Chapel, their victory bumped their record up to 2-0.
Shaler Area was able to grind out a solid win over Fox Chapel in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, winning 5-2. Does Shaler Area have another victory up their sleeve, or will Fox Chapel turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
