The Manchester Memorial Crusaders are headed away from home for the first time to square off against the Keene Blackbirds at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Manchester Memorial's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Keene's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Manchester Memorial will bounce into Monday's matchup after beating Salem, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Crusaders walked away with a 5-1 win over the Blue Devils on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Crusaders.
Meanwhile, Keene put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. Everything went their way against Manchester Central as they made off with an 11-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Blackbirds, who have now won three games by six runs or more so far this season.
Sean Callahan and Solis Bergquist were major factors while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Callahan pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Bergquist tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Callahan got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI, while Bergquist went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI. Those stolen bases were Callahan's first of the season.
In other batting news, Keene let Sam Goodwin and Fitch Hennessey run wild. Goodwin got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Hennessey went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. That RBI was Goodwin's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Cian Bose, who earned two RBI, one run, and two stolen bases.
Keene pushed their record up to 4-0 with the win, which was their third straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Manchester Memorial, their record is now 3-1.
Manchester Memorial suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Keene when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
