Hilltop has won three straight games at home, while Pettisville has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Wednesday. The Cadets will host the Blackbirds at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Pettisville's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Wednesday: Hilltop hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Cadets' pitcher stepped up to hand Antwerp a 6-0 shutout on Friday. The Cadets haven't had any issues with the Archers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Not much got past Giada Rising, who gave up just four hits to keep Antwerp off the board.
At the plate, Hilltop let Kelsy Connolly and Brooklyn Kuszmaul run wild. Connolly went 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI, while Kuszmaul went 2-for-3 with one home run. That's the most hits Kuszmaul has posted since back in April. Sophie Graham was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Pettisville got the win against Stryker on Monday by a conclusive 27-2.
Macy Hoylman was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Pettisville got a massive performance out of Olivia Miller, who got on base in all six of her plate appearances with five runs and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Naomi Richer, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, five RBI, and one double.
Pettisville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .688. They are a perfect 7-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Pettisville is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Hilltop, their victory bumped their record up to 17-3.
Wednesday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hilltop has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .526. However, it's not like Pettisville struggles in that department as they've averaged .506. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hilltop took their win against Pettisville when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Cadets repeat their success, or do the Blackbirds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
