The Northampton Konkrete Kids are taking a road trip to take on the Freedom Patriots at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Tuesday just wasn't the day for Northampton's offense. They fell just short of Nazareth Area by a score of 1-0 on Tuesday. The Konkrete Kids have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Northampton saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Aidan Sugra, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Freedom hadn't beaten Bethlehem Catholic on the road since April 10, 2021 but that history sure didn't bother them on Tuesday. The Patriots put the hurt on the Hawks with a sharp 10-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won seven games by seven runs or more so far this season.
John Phillips was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
In other batting news, Colin Andrews was incredible, going 2-for-5 with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Ryan Kullman, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Freedom kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bethlehem Catholic only managed four hits.
Freedom's victory was their eighth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-4. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.4 runs over those games. As for Northampton, their loss dropped their record down to 7-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Northampton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Freedom struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Northampton suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Freedom when the teams last played two weeks ago. Can the Konkrete Kids avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
