The Orchard Park Quakers are taking a road trip to square off against the Lancaster Legends at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Orchard Park comes in on three and Lancaster on five.
Orchard Park gave up the first runs on Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 5-2 victory over Williamsville North. That's two games straight that the Quakers have won by exactly three runs.
Reese Politowski spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Lainey Babich was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs. Another player making a difference was McKenzie McCann, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Orchard Park kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least nine hits in five consecutive matches.
The home team had won the previous seven meetings between Lancaster and Frontier, and Lancaster kept the tradition alive. The Legends had just enough and edged out the Falcons 4-3.
Lancaster also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Alyssa Brunner gave up three runs (all of which were unearned) on four hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Lancaster's win was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Addison Stachewicz, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Lancaster's victory was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Orchard Park, their record is now 12-2.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Orchard Park has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. However, it's not like Lancaster struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Orchard Park beat Lancaster 7-4 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Quakers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
