The Middletown Blue Raiders will take on the Annville-Cleona Dutchmen at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Middletown sitting on four straight victories and Annville-Cleona on three.
While Middletown's win against Camp Hill wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Blue Raiders had just enough and edged out the Lions 7-6 on Thursday.
Kenadee Hileman made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits. Hileman was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.
In other batting news, Middletown let Maci Shutt and Meghan O'Brien run wild. Shutt went 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while O'Brien went 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. That triple was Shutt's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Herneisey, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Middletown hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Annville-Cleona). Their pitchers stepped up to hand Lancaster Mennonite a 27-0 shutout on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Dutchmen with their most commanding win of the season.
Zoe Miller and Temperence Brubaker were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Miller tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Brubaker tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run any time she's pitched this season. At the plate, Miller went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Brubaker scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Faith Wagner and Danika Setlock did most of the damage at the plate: Wagner went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, six RBI, and three runs, while Setlock got on base in all five of her plate appearances with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. Savannah Milan was another key player, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2.
Annville-Cleona pushed their record up to 4-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Middletown, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Middletown has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Annville-Cleona struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Middletown took their win against Annville-Cleona in their previous meeting back in April of 2022 by a conclusive 11-4 score. Do the Blue Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Dutchmen turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
