Hazleton Area has gone a perfect 10-0 against Dallas recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Mountaineers at 4:15 p.m. Hazleton Area's pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so Dallas' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Hazleton Area had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt Greater Nanticoke Area on Wednesday. The Cougars never let the Trojans get on the board and left with a 14-0 victory. With that win, the Cougars brought their scoring average up to 6.4 runs per game.
Gavin Perkosky looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
Ryan Schmidt
| 04/23/25 vs Greater Nanticoke Area | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Dallas | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Wyoming Valley West | 2 |
| 04/03/25 vs Pittston | 2 |
| 04/19/25 @ Emmaus | 1 |
At the plate, Hazleton Area got a big performance out of Ryan Schmidt, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with three stolen bases and three runs. Those three stolen bases gave Schmidt a new career-high. Chris Knelly also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Hazleton Area hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Greater Nanticoke Area struck out 11 times.
Dallas came out on top against Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run sixth inning. The Mountaineers took their contest against the Wolfpack 9-5. Winning may never get old, but the Mountaineers sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Dominick Zangardi made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off eight hits. Zangardi was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Jude Nocito was a standout: he went 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Dylan Geskey, who went 1-for-2 with two runs and one RBI.
Hazleton Area is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Dallas, their record is now 6-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hazleton Area has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Dallas struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Hazleton Area's way against Dallas in their previous meeting last Tuesday, as Hazleton Area made off with a 13-7 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
