The Hilltop Cadets will head out on the road to face off against the Montpelier Locomotives at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hilltop came tearing into Tuesday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 14 runs) and they left with even more momentum. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Bombers a 12-0 shutout.
Kelsy Connolly made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Connolly has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. Connolly was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Halle Jones and Joscelyn Layman did most of the damage at the plate: Jones scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3, while Layman scored a run while going 3-for-3. Jones hasn't dropped below two stolen bases for four straight games. Another player making a difference was Isabella Ackley, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Montpelier scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past Stryker 20-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for Montpelier.
Like Hilltop, Montpelier also got a great game from a two-way player: Madelyn Hopper. She didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit while striking out 11 over four innings pitched. Hopper was also big at the plate, going 4-for-4 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Katie Terry was a standout: she scored two runs while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Addison Dick was another key contributor, scoring three runs while going 4-for-4.
Hilltop has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season. As for Montpelier, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-3.
Hilltop's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's match. Hilltop has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Montpelier, though, as they've been averaging only 1.4. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hilltop continue to outrun the ball?
Hilltop couldn't quite finish off Montpelier when the teams last played back in April of 2023 and fell 8-6. Can Hilltop avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
