The Pine Plains Bombers will venture away from home to face off against the Chatham Panthers at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday. Pine Plains' pitching crew has only allowed 2.7 runs per game this season, so Chatham's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Pine Plains took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Our Lady of Lourdes by a score of 8-4.
Warren Lounsbury made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Ryan Blass was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Micheal Klay, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chatham). They were the clear victors by a 14-2 margin over Watervliet on Tuesday. With that victory, the Panthers brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Like Pine Plains, Chatham also got a great game from a two-way player: Brayden Steltz. On the mound, he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits (and only one walk). Steltz was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Chatham let Cooper Steltz and Sean Harrington run wild. Steltz went 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Harrington went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Steltz is becoming a predictor of Chatham's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-10 when he doesn't). Tim Ewers also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Chatham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Pine Plains' win was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Chatham, their record now sits at 7-10.
Both Pine Plains and Chatham just can't seem to miss. The Bombers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10 hits per game. However, it's not like Chatham struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.6 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pine Plains suffered a grim 17-6 defeat to Chatham when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Bombers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
