The Montpelier Locomotives will face off against the Antwerp Archers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
While Montpelier's victory against North Central wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Locomotives sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 9-8 win over the Eagles on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Locomotives in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won six in a row.
Kenneth Smeltzer made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out eight over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jacob Lyons, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. Malachi Smeltzer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one double.
Montpelier always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .516. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Antwerp posted their closest win since May 14, 2024 on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against North Central, sneaking past 7-6.
Montpelier's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-2. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Antwerp, their victory ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-10.
Everything went Montpelier's way against Antwerp in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Montpelier made off with a 15-7 win. Do the Locomotives have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Archers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
