The Bethlehem Catholic Hawks will head out to face off against the North Pocono Trojans at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Bethlehem Catholic has given up an average of 6.8 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
The home team had won the previous six meetings between Bethlehem Catholic and Freedom, and Freedom kept the tradition alive. The Hawks came up short against the Patriots on Tuesday, falling 16-1.
Bethlehem Catholic saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Petros Tsihlis, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, North Pocono entered their tilt with West Scranton on Thursday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They put the hurt on the Invaders with a sharp 22-1 win. That 21 run margin sets a new team best for the Trojans this season.
Cael Hafner made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in hits (three).
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jake Reese, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (three). Jason Walsh was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
North Pocono always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .596. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Scranton only posted an OBP of .227.
North Pocono's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Bethlehem Catholic, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Bethlehem Catholic has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like North Pocono struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Bethlehem Catholic's way against North Pocono in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Bethlehem Catholic made off with an 11-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
