The Montpelier Locomotives are taking a road trip to take on the Swanton Bulldogs at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Montpelier took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Delta a 13-0 shutout. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Locomotives considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Wesley Hartsock made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in 11 consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kenneth Smeltzer, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with six RBI, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Jaxon Stahler was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Swanton came out on top against Northwood on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive 12-run third inning. The Bulldogs blew past the Rangers 16-0. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Rangers recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Montpelier pushed their record up to 15-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.6 runs on average over those games. As for Swanton, their record now sits at 16-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Montpelier has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Swanton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Montpelier might still be hurting after the 9-3 loss they got from Swanton in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Can the Locomotives avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
