The Susquenita Blackhawks will head out on the road to square off against the Newport Buffaloes at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Susquenita will be strutting in after a victory while Newport will be coming in after a defeat.
Susquenita came out on top against Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive 11-run sixth inning. The Blackhawks put the hurt on the WolfPack with a sharp 18-0 win. The Blackhawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by eight runs or more this season.
Ryan Schoppy
| 05/02/25 @ Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy | 10 |
| 03/26/25 vs Greenwood | 7 |
| 04/10/24 @ Newport | 7 |
| 03/31/25 vs Juniata | 5 |
| 05/03/24 @ Halifax | 5 |
Ryan Schoppy made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Those home runs marked the first that he has launched this season.
In other batting news, Billy Syster was incredible, going 3-for-5 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Justin Reidlinger was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Susquenita kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matches.
Halifax hit Newport with a five-run second inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Buffaloes came up short against the Wildcats, falling 11-1. The Buffaloes have struggled against the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
Susquenita is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Newport, their loss dropped their record down to 10-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Susquenita has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 11 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Newport struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Susquenita couldn't quite finish off Newport in their previous matchup last Monday and fell 4-2. Can the Blackhawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
