Huntingdon is 2-8 against Philipsburg-Osceola since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Bearcats will welcome the Mountaineers at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Huntingdon 2.9, Philipsburg-Osceola 3.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Huntingdon barely beat Hollidaysburg the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Bearcats blew past the Golden Tigers 11-1 on Tuesday.
Alivia Nicklow spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 13 Ks.
Izzy Kazmarski
| 05/06/25 @ Hollidaysburg | 3 |
| 04/29/25 vs Clearfield | 2 |
| 05/02/25 vs Penn Cambria | 1 |
| 04/30/25 vs Bishop Guilfoyle | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Juniata Valley | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Izzy Kazmarski, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Emmah Royer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Huntingdon kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.8 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 10.4.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Philipsburg-Osceola, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Tyrone 3-1. The victory continues a trend for the Mountaineers in their matchups with the Golden Eagles: they've now won five in a row.
Alivia Bizzarri made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in eight consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Emily Gustkey was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Huntingdon's win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-6. As for Philipsburg-Osceola, their victory bumped their record up to 9-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Huntingdon has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Philipsburg-Osceola struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Huntingdon skirted past Philipsburg-Osceola 2-0 when the teams last played back in March. Will the Bearcats repeat their success, or do the Mountaineers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
