The St. Marys Flying Dutch will head out to challenge the Bradford Owls at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, St. Marys beat Clarion-Limestone 10-6. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Flying Dutch.
Mason Nicklas
| 05/09/25 vs Clarion-Limestone | 6 |
| 03/29/25 vs Warren | 5 |
| 03/24/25 @ Brockway | 5 |
| 05/13/24 vs Bradford | 5 |
| 04/26/25 @ DuBois Central Catholic | 2 |
Mason Nicklas was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That home run was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Ben Reynolds was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for St. Marys: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 5-7 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Louie Nedzinski, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
St. Marys kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Bradford, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They won by a run and slipped past Brockway 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Owls have posted since March 24th.
Bradford's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Owen Degolier, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base. Evan Whitmore was another, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Bradford's record is now 5-10-1. As for St. Marys, they now have a winning record of 9-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. St. Marys has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bradford struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
St. Marys skirted past Bradford 2-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Flying Dutch since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
