The Philipsburg-Osceola Mountaineers will take on the Bedford Bisons at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Philipsburg-Osceola's pitching crew has only allowed 3.5 runs per game this season, so Bedford's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Philipsburg-Osceola fell victim to Punxsutawney and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They lost 7-0 to the Chucks. While getting shut out isn't ideal, the Mountaineers haven't been shut out since back in March.
Meanwhile, Bedford entered their tilt with Greater Johnstown on Thursday with six consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with seven. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Trojans a 15-0 shutout. The Bisons might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine matchups by six runs or more this season.
Emily Pratt made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Bedford let Bailey Mickle and Leah Nee run wild. Mickle went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, while Nee went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most RBI Mickle has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Sammi Shoemaker, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Bedford hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive contests.
Bedford's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.6 runs over those games. As for Philipsburg-Osceola, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 8-5.
Philipsburg-Osceola took their victory against Bedford in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 13-6 score. Will the Mountaineers repeat their success, or do the Bisons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
