The Hazleton Area Cougars will take on the Parkland Trojans at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Hazleton Area comes in on three and Parkland on five.
While Hazleton Area's victory against Crestwood wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Cougars narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Comets 3-2. Those three runs were actually the fewest the Cougars have put up all season, but given the result they're probably not too concerned.
Aj Collevechio looked comfortable as he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, Hazleton Area saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Racho, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Shea Higgins was another, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Parkland made easy work of East Stroudsburg South on Thursday and carried off a 9-1 victory. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won five games by six runs or more so far this season.
Ben Weninger and Julian Santiago did most of the damage at the plate: Weninger went 2-for-4 with one triple, two RBI, and one run, while Santiago scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. Those two stolen bases gave Santiago a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Will Dobil, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple.
Parkland was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .393. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Stroudsburg South only posted a batting average of .130.
Hazleton Area's win was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Parkland, their win bumped their record up to 6-1.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hazleton Area has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like Parkland struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
