Kennard-Dale hasn't had much luck against Northeastern recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Rams will take on the Bobcats at 11:00 a.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Kennard-Dale took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Dallastown, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Rams had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 3-2 on Thursday.
Ryan Perzanowski made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Perzanowski was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Perzanowski wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Zach Chisolm, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Meanwhile, Northeastern entered their tilt with Central York on Tuesday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 3-2 W against the Panthers.
Like Kennard-Dale, Northeastern also got a great game from a two-way player: Conner Rippo. He struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Rippo has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Derek Gross, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Kennard-Dale has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Northeastern, they pushed their record up to 12-6 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home.
Kennard-Dale's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's game. The Rams have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Northeastern, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Kennard-Dale continue to outrun the ball?
Kennard-Dale might still be hurting after the 10-2 loss they got from Northeastern in their previous matchup back in May of 2016. Can the Rams avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
