The Notre Dame-Green Pond Crusaders are taking a road trip to challenge the Wilson Area Warriors at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Notre Dame-Green Pond is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.4 runs per game this season.
On Friday, Notre Dame-Green Pond didn't have quite enough to beat Pen Argyl and fell 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Crusaders have lost by just one run.
Notre Dame-Green Pond saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Claire Ceraul, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Wilson Area never let their opponents score on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Bethlehem Catholic. Considering the Warriors have won eight contests by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Kiera Hartzell-Ham made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. Hartzell-Ham was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Tessa Fredericks was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Abymarie Colon was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
This is the second loss in a row for Notre Dame-Green Pond and nudges their season record down to 11-7. Even worse, they were so close both times: the losses came by an average of only one runs. As for Wilson Area, they now have a winning record of 11-10.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Notre Dame-Green Pond hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .364. However, it's not like Wilson Area struggles in that department as they've averaged .327. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Notre Dame-Green Pond couldn't quite finish off Wilson Area in their previous matchup back in April and fell 2-0. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
