Old Forge is on a four-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Mid Valley is on a six-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. Old Forge will host Mid Valley at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Sunday, Old Forge needed a bit of extra time to put away West Scranton. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Invaders, sneaking past 6-4.
Luke Olivieri and Jake Bartnikowski made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Olivieri struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Bartnikowski didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. At bat, Olivieri scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Bartnikowski scored a run while going 2-for-3.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was TJ DiMattia, who scored two runs while going 1-for-4. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Mid Valley made sure to put some runs up on the board against Montrose on Monday. Mid Valley was the clear victor by a 15-5 margin over Montrose. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won three contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Old Forge, Mid Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Brett Yanoski. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Yanoski was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Mid Valley let Doug Pua and Nick Mills run wild. Pua went 1-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI, while Mills scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That triple marked the first that Pua hit this season. Another player making a difference was Lorenzo Hernandez, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Mid Valley hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most five strikeouts in three consecutive matches.
Old Forge now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Mid Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Old Forge has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Mid Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
