The Glens Falls Black Bears will take on the Queensbury Spartans at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Glens Falls is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last six games.
On Friday, Glens Falls was able to grind out a solid win over Maple Hill, taking the game 10-5.
Jilyse Owira spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on six hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Isabella Johnson was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI. Ella Carner was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Queensbury). They blew past Gloversville 23-10 on Wednesday. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven games by 11 runs or more this season.
Haylee Hayes made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Those seven strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season.
In other batting news, Queensbury got a massive performance out of Ava Goertzen, who went 4-for-5 with one home run, four runs, and three RBI. That's the most hits Goertzen has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Mckenna Hazelton, who went 3-for-5 with six RBI, one triple, and one stolen base.
Queensbury hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive contests.
Glens Falls' victory bumped their record up to 12-6. As for Queensbury, their win bumped their record up to 8-10.
Saturday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Glens Falls hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Queensbury struggles in that department as they've averaged .348. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Glens Falls beat Queensbury 4-0 when the teams last played back in April. Will the Black Bears repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
