Montpelier had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the six-run drubbing they dealt North Central on Friday. The Locomotives never let the Eagles get on the board and left with a 6-0 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Locomotives have posted against the Eagles since May 7, 2021.
Not much got past Wesley Hartsock, who gave up just a hit and racked up 11 Ks to keep North Central off the board. Hartsock has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Kenneth Smeltzer and Jaxon Stahler did most of the damage at the plate: Smeltzer scored a run and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances, while Stahler went a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles and one stolen base. That's the most stolen bases Smeltzer has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Griffin Cooley, who scored two runs and stole four bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Locomotives
| 04/11/25 @ North Central | 6-0 |
| 04/04/25 @ Hilltop | 4-3 |
| 04/01/25 vs Pettisville | 6-1 |
The win was the third in a row for Montpelier, bringing their record up to 3-0. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average this season. As for North Central, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 2-2.
Looking ahead, Montpelier will head out to square off against Paulding at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The Panthers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 7.75 runs per game on average), something the Locomotives will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for North Central, they have already played their next match, an 11-1 defeat against Swanton on the 12th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
