The Middletown Blue Raiders will face off against the Kennard-Dale Rams at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Middletown sitting on four straight wins and Kennard-Dale on seven.
Middletown gave up the first runs on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 5-1 victory over Eastern York.
Landon Cochran was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. Cochran was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jacob Miller, who went 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Landon Keyser, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.
Middletown was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Eastern York only posted a batting average of .200.
Meanwhile, Kennard-Dale earned a 6-3 win over Octorara Area on Thursday. That's two games straight that the Rams have won by exactly three runs.
Like Middletown, Kennard-Dale also got a great game from a two-way player: Jake Harris. He tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Harris has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, earning one RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Noah Hoffer was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one run. Micah Smith was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Kennard-Dale's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-3. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Middletown, their victory bumped their record up to 7-3.
Monday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Middletown has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .474. However, it's not like Kennard-Dale struggles in that department as they've averaged .456. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Middletown beat Kennard-Dale 5-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2022. Will the Blue Raiders repeat their success, or do the Rams have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
