The Saucon Valley Panthers will head out on the road to square off against the Northwestern Lehigh Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Saucon Valley's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Northwestern Lehigh's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Saucon Valley will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Wednesday, then bounced right back against Pen Argyl on Saturday. The Panthers put the hurt on the Green Knights with a sharp 10-0 victory. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Cole Hubert was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over six innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, earning one RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Noah Hubert was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That triple was his first of the season. Frank DiRusso was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Saucon Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. The last time their batting average was this high was back in April.
Meanwhile, Northwestern Lehigh came out on top against Bangor on Saturday by a score of 5-4 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Slaters recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Northwestern Lehigh saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cannon Fitch, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Saucon Valley pushed their record up to 14-5 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Northwestern Lehigh, their record now sits at 17-4.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Saucon Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .472. However, it's not like Northwestern Lehigh struggles in that department as they've averaged .464. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Saucon Valley took their victory against Northwestern Lehigh in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
