The Parkland Trojans are taking a road trip to square off against the Pleasant Valley Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Parkland is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Emmaus hit Parkland with a nine-run first inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Trojans came up short against the Hornets, falling 15-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Trojans have suffered since April 9th.
Parkland saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elizabeth Pinkham, who went 1-for-2 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Valley hadn't done well against Stroudsburg recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Monday. The Bears came out on top in a nail-biter against the Mountaineers, sneaking past 8-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bears have posted since April 19, 2024.
Lydia Borger was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddie Abbatiello, who went 1-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Pleasant Valley was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .379. They are 9-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Pleasant Valley has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Parkland, their loss dropped their record down to 9-8.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Parkland has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .487. However, it's not like Pleasant Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .500. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Parkland came up short against Pleasant Valley in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, falling 5-2. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
