The Belle Vernon Leopards are taking a road trip to face off against the Mt. Pleasant Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Belle Vernon came out on top against Charleroi on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fifth inning. The Leopards never let the Cougars get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The Leopards haven't had any issues with the Cougars recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Lucas Judy made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Belle Vernon got a big performance out of Alonzo Wade, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that Wade has hit this season. Connor Bergman was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Mt. Pleasant came tearing into Tuesday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Scotties 11-1.
Cole Chatfield was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Connor Drzal, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Mt. Pleasant always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .625. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Mt. Pleasant pushed their record up to 10-4-2 with the win, which was their tenth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Belle Vernon, their record is now 9-2.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Belle Vernon hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like Mt. Pleasant struggles in that department as they've averaged .361. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
