The Tamaqua Blue Raiders will be taking part in a tournament against the Northwestern Lehigh Tigers at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Tamaqua is coming into the contest hot, having won their last 14 games.
If Tamaqua beats Northwestern Lehigh with four runs on Wednesday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Blue Raiders walked away with a 4-1 win over Bethlehem Catholic on Sunday.
Mason Ligenza made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in ten consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
Ligenza wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Brayden Witkowski, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Northwestern Lehigh, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Saucon Valley a 2-0 shutout on Sunday.
Tamaqua's victory was their 13th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 22-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.2 runs over those games. As for Northwestern Lehigh, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That somehow still isn't as good as their 19-5 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tamaqua has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Northwestern Lehigh struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tamaqua suffered a grim 12-6 defeat to Northwestern Lehigh when the teams last played back in March of 2019. Will the Blue Raiders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
