The Hopewell Vikings will head out on the road to challenge the Ambridge Bridgers at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Hopewell has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Last Thursday, Hopewell sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over Ellwood City.
John Vescio made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Vescio was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
In other pitching news, Payton Korker looked comfortable as he tossed 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits.
Back at the plate, Ben Mcdonald was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Ambridge has not done well against Beaver recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. Ambridge sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 victory over Beaver.
Ambridge's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Nate Thomas, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
The victory got Hopewell back to even at 7-7. As for Ambridge, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games, which provided a nice bump to their 4-7 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hopewell has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ambridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hopewell skirted past Ambridge 4-2 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hopewell since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
