The Pen Argyl Green Knights will venture away from home to square off against the Palisades Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Pen Argyl 2.4, Palisades 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Pen Argyl barely beat Pocono Mountain East the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Green Knights put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 16-5 win on Tuesday. Considering the Green Knights have won nine matchups by more than seven runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
The team relied heavily on Abby Scherer, who went 2-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and one triple. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April. Madacyn Rivera was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Pen Argyl kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Palisades had already won 12 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it 13 on Wednesday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 1-0 W against the Green Knights. The Pirates' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three contests.
The result came thanks to Karlye Teman's shutout, as she gave up just four hits and racked up 12 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Palisades' victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Aubrey Boushell, who went 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Pen Argyl is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a nice bump to their 16-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.2 runs over those games. As for Palisades, they pushed their record up to 19-3 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pen Argyl has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Palisades struggles in that department as they've been averaging 12.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
