The Bethlehem Central Eagles are taking a road trip to square off against the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Spartans at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Bethlehem Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.7 runs per game this season.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake will be up against a hot Bethlehem Central team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Eagles put the hurt on Guilderland with a sharp 16-4 win on Tuesday. Considering the Eagles have won five matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Kay Heffern
| 04/29/25 vs Guilderland | 3 |
| 04/23/25 vs Colonie Central | 1 |
| 04/17/25 vs Ballston Spa | 1 |
| 04/09/25 @ Averill Park | 1 |
| 04/04/25 vs Saratoga Springs | 1 |
Kay Heffern made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed five innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits. Heffern was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Molly Campbell was incredible, firing off two home runs, nine RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Emma Hanlon also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Bethlehem Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .559. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Guilderland only posted an OBP of .318.
Meanwhile, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They came out on top against the Flying Dutchmen by a score of 9-4.
Like Bethlehem Central, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake also got a great game from a two-way player: Ava Yahoudy. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out nine over six innings pitched. Yahoudy has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lilly Morse, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. Bailey Dinon was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Bethlehem Central pushed their record up to 8-3 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, their record now sits at 7-2.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Bethlehem Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake struggles in that department as they've averaged .318. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Bethlehem Central came up short against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 10-5. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
