The Kennard-Dale Rams are taking a road trip to face off against the Middletown Blue Raiders at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Kennard-Dale will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
On Thursday, Kennard-Dale earned a 6-3 victory over Octorara Area. That's two games straight that the Rams have won by exactly three runs.
Jake Harris made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, earning one RBI, one run, and one stolen base. That run was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Noah Hoffer was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. Micah Smith was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Middletown gave up the first runs on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top against Eastern York by a score of 5-1. The win was familiar territory for the Blue Raiders, who have now won four contests in a row.
Like Kennard-Dale, Middletown also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Cochran. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Cochran was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jacob Miller, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Landon Keyser, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Middletown kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Kennard-Dale's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Middletown, their record now sits at 7-3.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Kennard-Dale hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Middletown struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Kennard-Dale came up short against Middletown when the teams last played back in May of 2022, falling 5-1. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
