Saucon Valley is 0-7 against Southern Lehigh since April of 2015 but things could change on Thursday. The Panthers will venture away from home to square off against the Spartans at 4:00 p.m.
Saucon Valley easily dispatched Louis E. Dieruff on Monday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Panthers fell just short of Salisbury Township by a score of 4-2 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Panthers have suffered since May 1, 2024.
Savannah Schlegel made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That double marked the first that she has hit this season.
Meanwhile, Southern Lehigh made easy work of Salisbury Township on Wednesday and carried off a 13-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Spartans, who have now won seven games by nine runs or more so far this season.
Delaney Young was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Young was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Southern Lehigh let Lila Padden and Lily Kelly run wild. Padden went 4-for-5 with two triples, five RBI, and three runs, while Kelly went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one triple. That's the most RBI Kelly has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Demi Lewis, who went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI.
Southern Lehigh kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Salisbury Township only managed six hits.
Southern Lehigh has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-7 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Saucon Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 6-8.
Southern Lehigh's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Saucon Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Southern Lehigh, though, as they've been averaging only 2.7 strikeouts. Will Saucon Valley keep running through batters, or will the Spartans buck the trend?
Saucon Valley suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Southern Lehigh when the teams last played back in March. Can the Panthers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
