Minersville hasn't had much luck against Tri-Valley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Battlin' Miners will face off against the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Minersville barely beat Marian Catholic the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Battlin' Miners put the hurt on Marian Catholic with a sharp 16-2 win on Tuesday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Battlin' Miners.
Eila O'Brien made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. O'Brien was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Payton Frantz was incredible, going 3-for-4 with six RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Grace Sterner was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances.
Minersville was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .484. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Tri-Valley). They were the clear victors by a 19-1 margin over Shenandoah Valley on Wednesday. Winning may never get old, but the Bulldogs sure are getting used to it with their sixth in a row.
Like Minersville, Tri-Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Myah Schwalm. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Schwalm was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, seven RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cassi Snyder, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Olivia Witmer, who scored two runs while going 1-for-1.
Tri-Valley pushed their record up to 8-2 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Minersville, their record is now 4-6.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Minersville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .385. However, it's not like Tri-Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .461. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Minersville suffered a grim 18-2 defeat to Tri-Valley when the teams last played back in March. Can the Battlin' Miners avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
