The New Castle Hurricanes will face off against the Moniteau Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. New Castle is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.8 runs per game this season.
New Castle couldn't beat North Hills on Thursday even though they stacked four runs on them in the second inning. The Hurricanes fell just short of the Indians by a score of 9-8.
Aliyah Stalczynski was cooking despite her team's loss, going 3-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Keara Mangieri, who went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Moniteau started off well but failed to capitalize on an early lead against Brookville. They came up short against the Raiders on Monday, falling 14-4. The Warriors have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Lexi Mcghee put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned (and seven unearned) runs off eight hits. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Alex Stewart made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Lexi Thomas also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
New Castle has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 5-7 record this season. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the losses came by an average of only 1.33 runs. As for Moniteau, their defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 2-6.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. New Castle hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .442. However, it's not like Moniteau struggles in that department as they've averaged .342. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
New Castle came out on top in a nail-biter against Moniteau in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 9-7. Will the Hurricanes repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
