The Reading Rangers will square off against the North Adams-Jerome Rams at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Reading has given up an average of 9.7 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Stockbridge hit Reading with a six-run fifth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Rangers lost 14-3 to the Panthers. The Rangers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Reading saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Stephen Anderson, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, North Adams-Jerome waltzed into their game on Thursday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They were the clear victors by an 18-4 margin over the Wildcats. That's two games straight that the Rams have won by exactly 14 runs.
Connor McKay made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over four innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). McKay was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, Kaleb Hale was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Nolan Paradine, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, one triple, and one run.
North Adams-Jerome always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .714. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
North Adams-Jerome's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Reading, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-5.
Reading skirted past North Adams-Jerome 4-3 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Rangers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
