Ferndale hasn't had much luck against Berlin Brothersvalley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets will take on the Mountaineers at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ferndale will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up one run on Tuesday, then bounced right back against United on Wednesday. The Yellow Jackets blew past the Lions 18-3.
Abigail Barley
| 04/30/25 vs United | 3 |
| 04/29/24 vs Turkeyfoot Valley Area | 2 |
| 05/13/24 @ Shade | 1 |
| 05/06/24 vs Windber | 1 |
Ferndale got a massive performance out of Abigail Barley, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with five RBI, three runs, and three doubles. Those three doubles gave Barley a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Izabel Chuklochak, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Ferndale always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .862. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Berlin Brothersvalley had already won eight in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it nine on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 17-2 margin over the Cougars.
Haylee Speicher and Bena Barna did most of the damage at the plate: Speicher went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs, while Barna went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Another player making a difference was Cayley Poorbaugh, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Ferndale has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-4 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.6 runs over those games. As for Berlin Brothersvalley, their victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-1.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ferndale has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .539. However, it's not like Berlin Brothersvalley struggles in that department as they've averaged .486. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ferndale suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to Berlin Brothersvalley in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Yellow Jackets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
