Montpelier had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 win over the Hilltop Cadets on Friday. The victory was familiar territory for Montpelier who now have seven in a row.
Madelyn Hopper made a splash no matter where she played. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Hopper has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in 15 consecutive pitching appearances. Hopper was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kelsie Bumb, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4.
On Hilltop's side, Halle Jones was cooking despite her team's loss, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Sophia Crossgrove, who went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Montpelier pushed their record up to 17-7 with that win, which was their fifth straight on the road. As for Hilltop, their defeat ended a seven-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 23-6.
Montpelier will square off against Monroeville at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Monroeville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.1 runs per game this season. Hilltop does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
