Saucon Valley hasn't had much luck against Notre Dame-Green Pond recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will head out to challenge the Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Saucon Valley took a 15-run defeat the last time they faced off against Palmerton, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past the Blue Bombers 6-5.
Morgan Seyfried spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Alexis Quinones was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases. Ryan Gall also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame-Green Pond put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past Catasauqua 26-4. Fans of the Crusaders have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Emily Szczepanski looked comfortable as she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Natalie Lilly and Riley Palank did most of the damage at the plate: Lilly went a perfect 4-for-4 with eight RBI, four runs, and two doubles, while Palank went 3-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. With that strong performance, Lilly is now averaging an impressive 2.2 runs per game. Another player making a difference was Sydney Ryan, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Notre Dame-Green Pond lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've posted since back in April of 2024.
Notre Dame-Green Pond's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 21.5 runs over those games. As for Saucon Valley, their record is now 2-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Saucon Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Notre Dame-Green Pond struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Saucon Valley might still be hurting after the 13-1 loss they got from Notre Dame-Green Pond when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
