Hempfield Area has won ten straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Seneca Valley has won ten straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Spartans will host the Raiders at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Hempfield Area 1.1, Seneca Valley 1.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Seneca Valley's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Monday: Hempfield Area hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Spartans never let Canon-McMillan get on the board and left with a 10-0 win on Monday. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by ten runs or more this season.
Julia Varhola was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Lauren Howard, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Reagan Reamer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Hempfield Area hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Seneca Valley sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-0 victory over Mt. Lebanon on Friday. The Raiders haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Bella Gross and Lauren Folino did most of the damage at the plate: Gross scored two runs while going 2-for-3, while Folino went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most runs Gross has posted since back in April of 2024.
Seneca Valley's victory bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Hempfield Area, their win bumped their record up to 9-0.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Hempfield Area hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1.2 home runs per game. However, it's not like Seneca Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.9 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Hempfield Area took their victory against Seneca Valley in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-2 score. Will the Spartans repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
