South Allegheny is on an eight-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Brentwood is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Gladiators will host the Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.
South Allegheny was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last game, but they sure didn't let that happen against Shady Side Academy on Friday. The Gladiators' pitcher stepped up to hand the Bulldogs a 16-0 shutout. The Gladiators might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matchups by six runs or more this season.
Carrera Conley was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double.
In other batting news, South Allegheny let Cameran Colecchi and Cadence McBride run wild. Colecchi went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple, while McBride went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. Gina Connors was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
South Allegheny was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .588. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shady Side Academy only posted a batting average of .214.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Brentwood). They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over Ellis on Thursday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Emma Thompson made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Thompson was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Paige Boehm was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases, four runs, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Abbey Fickley, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
South Allegheny is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 11 contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-2 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Brentwood, the win got them back to even at 6-6.
Brentwood's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. South Allegheny has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Brentwood, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.1 strikeouts. Will South Allegheny keep running through batters, or will the Spartans buck the trend?
South Allegheny took their victory against Brentwood when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 16-0 score. Will the Gladiators repeat their success, or do the Spartans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
