Tigers
| 05/01/25 vs Palmerton | 4 |
| 04/30/25 @ Jim Thorpe | 4 |
| 04/27/25 vs Lehighton | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs Northern Lehigh | 12 |
| 04/24/25 @ Lehighton | 9 |
| + 15 more games |
The Northwestern Lehigh Tigers will take on the Bangor Slaters at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Northwestern Lehigh is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Palmerton hit Northwestern Lehigh with a four-run fourth inning last Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Tigers fell just short of the Blue Bombers by a score of 5-4. Tigers fans who chose to attend the game sure picked the wrong one: it was the first time the team's lost against the Blue Bombers since last Thursday.
Josh Farber spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Northwestern Lehigh saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Eli Zimmerman, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, it may have taken nine innings to finish the job, but Bangor ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Pen Argyl 4-3. The win was nothing new for the Slaters as they're now sitting on three straight.
Nolan Koza made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. He is becoming a predictor of Bangor's success: when he allows at most three earned runs the team is 3-1 (and 7-9 when he doesn't). Koza was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other pitching news, Gino Merlo looked comfortable as he tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. He has become a key player for Bangor: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 8-9 otherwise.
Bangor pushed their record up to 10-10 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Northwestern Lehigh, their defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-4.
Northwestern Lehigh took their victory against Bangor in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 11-4 score. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Slaters turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
