The Littlestown Thunderbolts will face off against the New Oxford Colonials at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Littlestown took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand York Catholic a 16-0 shutout. The win continues a trend for the Thunderbolts in their matchups with the Fighting Irish: they've now won four in a row.
Maddy Dubbert looked comfortable as she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Hannah Barthel, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashlynn Gorsuch, who scored a run while going 1-for-1.
Littlestown always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .727. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask New Oxford). They put the hurt on William Penn with a sharp 18-1 victory on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Colonials.
Ava Wilke made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Wilke was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Maddie Hicks was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, four RBI, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she hit this season. Another player making a difference was Miranda Leatherman, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Littlestown pushed their record up to 3-3 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for New Oxford, their win bumped their record up to 4-2.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Littlestown has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .494. However, it's not like New Oxford struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Littlestown might still be hurting after the 20-3 defeat they got from New Oxford when the teams last played back in April of 2019. Can Littlestown avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
