The Forest Hills Rangers will square off against the Meyersdale Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Forest Hills is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
On Friday, it was close, but Forest Hills sidestepped Bellefonte for a 3-1 victory. The three-run effort marked the Rangers' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Avery Smiach
| 04/04/25 vs Bellefonte | 13 |
| 04/01/25 vs Central Cambria | 8 |
| 03/25/25 vs Bedford | 8 |
| 03/20/25 @ Penn Cambria | 11 |
| 03/18/25 vs Chestnut Ridge | 9 |
Avery Smiach spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Ana Spangler was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Meyersdale, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Rockwood on Thursday as they made off with a 15-5 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Red Raiders considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Meyersdale let Jessica Daughton and Isabella Sleasman run wild. Daughton went a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run and six RBI, while Sleasman got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Those six RBI gave Daughton a new career-high. Sarah Hainsworth was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
Meyersdale hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters every time they've taken the field this season.
Forest Hills' victory was their 13th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-0. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.2 runs on average over those games. As for Meyersdale, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Forest Hills has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Meyersdale struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
