Mohawk Area is 2-8 against Riverside since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Warriors will take on the Panthers. Mohawk Area is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Mohawk Area is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Titusville 5-4.
Jackson Chapman was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs and two doubles. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Cash Stratton, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Riverside put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's fourth consecutive shutout on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Huntingdon a 9-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Panthers, who have now won 11 matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Not much got past Christian Lucarelli, who gave up just three hits and racked up seven Ks to keep Huntingdon off the board. Lucarelli has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Sean Hayes and Hunter Garvin did most of the damage at the plate: Hayes got on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI, while Garvin went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of John Bowser, who went 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Riverside hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Huntingdon struck out seven times.
Riverside is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 15 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-2 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Mohawk Area, their record is now 13-11.
Mohawk Area's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Warriors have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Riverside, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Mohawk Area continue to outrun the ball?
Mohawk Area suffered a grim 8-0 defeat to Riverside in their previous matchup back in April. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
