Montpelier is 6-1 against North Central since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Locomotives will look to defend their home field against the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. Montpelier is coming into the contest hot, having won their last eight games.
On Tuesday, Montpelier made easy work of Holgate and carried off an 11-2 win. The Locomotives might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by nine runs or more this season.
Madelyn Hopper
| 04/29/25 @ Holgate | 17 |
| 04/28/25 vs Antwerp | 17 |
| 04/26/25 vs Delta | 12 |
| 04/24/25 vs Hilltop | 11 |
| 04/22/25 vs Gorham Fayette | 9 |
| + 10 more games |
Madelyn Hopper made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 17 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in 15 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Lyla Mahan was incredible, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Maggie Jacob was another key player, going 2-for-5 with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Montpelier was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .405. They are a perfect 9-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, North Central fell victim to Hilltop and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Cadets, falling 24-0. Having soared to a lofty 11 runs in the game before, the Eagles' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Montpelier's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-5. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.8 runs over those games. As for North Central, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-9.
North Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Montpelier hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .377. It's a different story for North Central, though, as they've only averaged .211. Will they be able to contain Montpelier's hitters?
Montpelier took their victory against North Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 11-1 score. Do the Locomotives have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
