The New Castle Hurricanes will square off against the Wilmington Greyhounds at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The last five games New Castle has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
New Castle took a loss when they played away from home last Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They skirted past Ellwood City 8-6. The win was some much needed relief for the Hurricanes as it spelled an end to their three-game losing streak.
Zoie Shields spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned runs on nine hits.
On the hitting side, Olivia Hood was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-4. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabby Mangieri, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: New Castle lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. They are 6-3 when they post two or more home runs.
Sharpsville hit Wilmington with a five-run fourth inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Greyhounds came up short against the Blue Devils, falling 9-1.
Wilmington saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ava Williamson, who went 1-for-4 with one home run. That home run marked the first that Williamson has launched this season.
Wilmington's loss dropped their record down to 11-5. As for New Castle, their victory bumped their record up to 9-10.
New Castle's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's matchup. The Hurricanes have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Wilmington, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will New Castle continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went New Castle's way against Wilmington in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as New Castle made off with a 10-3 win. Will the Hurricanes repeat their success, or do the Greyhounds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
