The Pine Grove Cardinals will head out on the road to face off against the North Schuylkill Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pine Grove is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
On Tuesday, Pine Grove earned a 6-3 win over Pottsville. The victory continues a trend for the Cardinals in their matchups with the Crimson Tide: they've now won seven in a row.
Carson Lengle was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Lengle was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
Chandler Sirbaugh
| 04/01/25 @ Pottsville | 2 |
| 05/07/24 vs Pottsville | 1 |
| 04/18/24 @ Lehighton | 1 |
| 04/16/24 @ Jim Thorpe | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Chandler Sirbaugh, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-1. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, North Schuylkill played in-conference for the first time on Tuesday and got just the result they were looking for. They were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over Panther Valley. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Spartans.
Like Pine Grove, North Schuylkill also got a great game from a two-way player: Kolton Joyce. He pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Joyce was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that he snagged this season.
In other batting news, Aaron Brayford was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Mark Monahan, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Pine Grove now has a winning record of 4-3. As for North Schuylkill, their win bumped their record up to 2-3.
Pine Grove's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's game. The Cardinals have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Schuylkill, though, as they've been averaging only 0.6 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Pine Grove continue to outrun the ball?
Pine Grove beat North Schuylkill 12-9 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Do the Cardinals have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
