Peru is 9-1 against Saranac since May of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Sunday. The Nighthawks will venture away from home to square off against the Chiefs at 2:30 p.m. Peru knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Saranac likes a good challenge.
Peru's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over Beekmantown. The Nighthawks haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Kalib Smith
| 04/30/26 vs Beekmantown | 12 |
| 04/22/26 @ Plattsburgh | 6 |
| 04/03/25 vs Tupper Lake | 5 |
| 04/15/26 vs Saranac | 3 |
| 05/02/25 vs Ticonderoga | 1 |
Kalib Smith was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Trenten Taylor, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Deacon Whitmarsh was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, Saranac came up short against Northern Adirondack on Friday and fell 10-7.
Saranac got a massive performance out of Adrian Barnes, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Barnes has become a key player for the Chiefs: the team is 4-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Max Coryer, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Saranac now has a losing record of 5-6. As for Peru, their record now sits at 8-1.
Saranac's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Peru has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 12.3 hits per game. It's a different story for Saranac, though, as they've been averaging 9.5 hits. Given Peru's sizable advantage in that area, the Chiefs will need to find a way to close that gap.
Peru got the 'W' in their previous matchup two weeks ago against Saranac by a conclusive 15-4 score. Will the Nighthawks repeat their success, or do the Chiefs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
