Mahanoy Area hasn't had much luck against Pine Grove recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Golden Bears are taking a road trip to face off against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mahanoy Area took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Shenandoah Valley a 15-0 shutout. The victory continues a trend for the Golden Bears in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won six in a row.
Lilly Carl made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Carl was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Urijah Fazio, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in doubles (two). Ella Connolly also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Mahanoy Area always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Pine Grove faced Williams Valley in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Cardinals blew past the Vikings 9-2. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Chelcy Clark spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Hannah Aungst was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. Another player making a difference was Madison Shiffer, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Pine Grove's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Mahanoy Area, they now have a winning record of 4-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Mahanoy Area has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Pine Grove struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Mahanoy Area might still be hurting after the 17-0 defeat they got from Pine Grove in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Golden Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
