The Hazleton Area Cougars are taking a road trip to face off against the Pittston Patriots at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Hazleton Area sitting on three straight wins and Pittston on 17.
Hazleton Area barely beat Wilkes-Barre the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars blew past the Wolfpack 10-4 on Thursday. Considering the Cougars have won six matches by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Chris Peters
| 05/01/25 @ Wilkes-Barre | 6 |
| 04/21/25 vs Wilkes-Barre | 5 |
| 04/11/25 @ Crestwood | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Pittston | 3 |
| 03/29/25 @ Liberty | 3 |
Chris Peters looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Bryant Diaz, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. Another player making a difference was Chris Knelly, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Pittston got the win against Berwick on Thursday by a conclusive 9-2. The Patriots are also no stranger to big wins: their blowout was the 12th game they've won by 6+ runs this season.
Ashton Lepore looked comfortable as he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
On the hitting side, Eli Mead was a standout: he went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Beau Widdick also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Pittston kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Berwick only managed four hits.
Pittston's victory was their sixth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 17-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Hazleton Area, their record is now 11-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hazleton Area has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pittston struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hazleton Area couldn't quite finish off Pittston in their previous matchup back in April and fell 6-4. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
