Schuylkill Haven is 0-10 against Williams Valley since April of 2021 but things could change on Tuesday. The Hurricanes will square off against the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Schuylkill Haven 3.8, Williams Valley 1.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Monday, Schuylkill Haven came up short against Schuylkill Valley and fell 5-2.
Allison Scherer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Schuylkill Haven saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Joie Schoffstall, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Another was Teagan Wehr, who got on base in two of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Williams Valley entered their tilt with Northern Lehigh on Monday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. They blew past the Bulldogs 11-4. The result was nothing new for the Vikings, who have now won 13 matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Olivia Hand made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sage Smeltz, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI, one triple, and one run. Kayla Hand was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs and one double.
Williams Valley's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-1. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Schuylkill Haven, their loss dropped their record down to 11-5.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Schuylkill Haven hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. However, it's not like Williams Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Schuylkill Haven suffered a grim 11-3 defeat to Williams Valley in their previous meeting on April 3rd. Can the Hurricanes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
