The Millville Quakers will head out on the road to take on the Canton Warriors at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Canton will challenge a team with plenty of momentum: Millville extended their winning streak to four on Thursday. The Quakers were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over Sayre. The result was nothing new for the Quakers, who have now won seven contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Curtis Whitmoyer was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Shane Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Xavier Hughes also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Millville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.6 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 matchups they've averaged 8.8.
Meanwhile, Canton had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against Sullivan County on Thursday by a score of 12-2 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Warriors not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 9, 2024 (when they won 11-1).
Like Millville, Canton also got a great game from a two-way player: Reed Taylor. Throwing, Taylor pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Michael Beers pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. At the plate, Taylor went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double, while Beers got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Bailey Gardner was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (four). Another player making a difference was Carson Castle, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs.
Millville's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Canton, they picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 2-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Millville has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Canton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Millville skirted past Canton 8-7 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Quakers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
