North Pocono is on a ten-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Valley View is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Trojans will host the Cougars at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (North Pocono 3.8, Valley View 1.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
North Pocono is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Pennsylvania's top teams: Abington Heights, who was ranked 20th at the time (North Pocono was ranked ninth). The Trojans fell just short of the Comets by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday. The Trojans' defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
North Pocono saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Isabella Forgione, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, while Valley View put up plenty of runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Delaware Valley. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 16-0 margin over the Warriors. Considering the Cougars have won nine matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Taylor Cawley was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, Valley View got a massive performance out of Zoie Krupovich, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Emily Moyles, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Valley View kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 13 hits in six consecutive contests.
Valley View's victory bumped their record up to 10-1-1. As for North Pocono, their loss dropped their record down to 10-2.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. North Pocono has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .450. However, it's not like Valley View struggles in that department as they've averaged .521. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Pocono skirted past Valley View 7-6 in their previous matchup on April 2nd. Will the Trojans repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
