The Hazleton Area Cougars will square off against the Holy Cross Crusaders at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hazleton Area has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the match with seven straight losses, while Holy Cross will come in with six straight victories.
Wednesday just wasn't the day for Hazleton Area's offense. They lost 15-0 to Tunkhannock on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Holy Cross got themselves on the board against Old Forge on Wednesday, but Old Forge never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Blue Devils with a sharp 15-0 win. Considering the Crusaders have won 12 contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
AVA SCHMIDT made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, MIA GALELLA and JULES GALELLA did most of the damage at the plate: MIA went 1-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while JULES went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave MIA a new career-high. PEYTON GRABOSKE was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Holy Cross kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Holy Cross' victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.9 runs on average over those games. As for Hazleton Area, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-8.
Thursday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Hazleton Area hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .321. However, it's not like Holy Cross struggles in that department as they've averaged .422. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
