Mid Valley has gone 8-2 against Holy Cross recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Spartans will head out to take on the Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Holy Cross' hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Monday: Mid Valley hadn't allowed a single run the last five times they've hit the field. The Spartans didn't even let Lakeland on the board on Friday, marking the Spartans' second-straight 15-0 shutout.
Ava Hazelton
| 05/02/25 vs Lakeland | 5 |
| 04/30/25 @ Western Wayne | 13 |
| 04/28/25 @ Dunmore | 11 |
| 04/25/25 vs Old Forge | 9 |
| 04/22/25 vs Honesdale | 5 |
| + 12 more games |
Ava Hazelton looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Mid Valley got a massive performance out of Elise Larson, who fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Those five RBI gave Larson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Krista Cortazar, who fired off two home runs and six RBI while going 2-for-3.
Mid Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lakeland only managed two hits.
Meanwhile, Holy Cross got themselves on the board against Western Wayne on Friday, but Western Wayne never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Wildcats with a sharp 11-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won seven in a row.
AVA SCHMIDT made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. SCHMIDT was also solid in the batter's box, earning one RBI, one run, and two stolen bases.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on MIA GALELLA, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. CLAIRE HELRING was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Mid Valley's win was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-1-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Holy Cross, their record now sits at 15-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Mid Valley hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Holy Cross struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.2 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Mid Valley came out on top in a nail-biter against Holy Cross in their previous matchup back in April, sneaking past 4-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Spartans since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
