The Stryker Panthers will square off against the Montpelier Locomotives at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Stryker has struggled recently with 11 losses in a row, while Montpelier will arrive with four straight wins.
Stryker fell victim to Hilltop and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Cadets, falling 16-0.
Stryker saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Daniel Donovan, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Montpelier). They blew past Paulding 18-3 on Monday. With that victory, the Locomotives brought their scoring average up to 8.5 runs per game.
Jaxon Stahler made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off four hits. Stahler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tyler Plourde, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those five RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kenneth Smeltzer, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Montpelier hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in five consecutive games dating back to last season.
Montpelier pushed their record up to 4-0 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Stryker, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Stryker has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Montpelier struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Stryker suffered a grim 9-0 defeat to Montpelier when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
