Perkiomen Valley will square off against Upper Merion Area at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Perkiomen Valley took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They walked away with a 7-3 victory over Boyertown.
The team relied heavily on Andrew Keenan, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That double was his first of the season. Michael Strechay was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Keenan wasn't the only one making solid contact: Perkiomen Valley kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Upper Merion Area had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 6-5 W against the Falcons.
Tristan Fanning tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, John Tomsho was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Fowler, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one double.
Perkiomen Valley pushed their record up to 5-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Upper Merion Area, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Perkiomen Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Upper Merion Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Perkiomen Valley's way against Upper Merion Area in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Perkiomen Valley made off with a 16-5 victory. Will Perkiomen Valley repeat their success, or does Upper Merion Area has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
