Newmarket is 7-2 against Pittsfield since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Mules will face off against the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Newmarket barely beat Wilton-Lyndeborough the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Mules were the clear victors by a 22-6 margin over the Warriors on Wednesday. Winning may never get old, but the Mules sure are getting used to it with their fifth in a row.
Emma Surina was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season.
Paige Sweitzer
| 05/21/25 vs Wilton-Lyndeborough | 4 |
| 05/17/25 @ Farmington | 2 |
| 05/19/25 vs Mascenic Regional | 1 |
| 05/14/25 @ Epping | 1 |
| 05/12/25 vs Portsmouth Christian Academy | 1 |
In other batting news, Newmarket got a massive performance out of Paige Sweitzer, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those four runs gave Sweitzer a new career-high. Kierra Souphakhot was another key player, getting on base in all five of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and four runs.
Newmarket was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .583. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Pittsfield duked it out with Farmington on Monday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 19-2 victory. 19 seems to be a good number for the Panthers as the squad scooped up a win with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Alex Penney made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Penney was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, Ashley Clark was a standout: she got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Nika Pereira, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Pittsfield's victory was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-2. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Newmarket, their record is now 12-1.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Newmarket has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .467. However, it's not like Pittsfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .556. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Newmarket was able to grind out a solid victory over Pittsfield in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mules since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
