The New Hartford Spartans will face off against the Rome Free Academy Black Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
New Hartford's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Oneida as they made off with a 13-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Spartans in their matchups with the Express: they've now won three in a row.
Olivia Battaglia
| 04/30/25 @ Oneida | 8 |
| 04/28/25 @ Holland Patent | 12 |
| 04/23/25 vs Ironton | 0 |
| 04/11/25 vs Proctor | 2 |
Olivia Battaglia was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 5.5 strikeouts per game. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Ruby Gehringer was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. Addie Way was another key player, going 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, Rome Free Academy waltzed into their contest on Monday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They blew past the Express 14-2.
Like New Hartford, Rome Free Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Madison Safin. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Safin has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, Rome Free Academy got a massive performance out of Saige Pelton, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was Pelton's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Caitlin Platis, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Rome Free Academy's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for New Hartford, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. New Hartford has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .463. However, it's not like Rome Free Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .485. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
