The Holy Cross Crusaders will venture away from home to square off against the Old Forge Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Holy Cross will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Holy Cross barely beat Riverside the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Crusaders blew past the Vikings 11-1 on Friday. Fans of the Crusaders have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
AVA SCHMIDT was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. SCHMIDT was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, MIA GALELLA was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. CLAIRE HELRING was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Old Forge can bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. Everything went their way against Western Wayne as they made off with a 9-3 victory.
Like Holy Cross, Old Forge also got a great game from a two-way player: Kamryn Notari. She tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Notari was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Old Forge let Lilianna Lenceski and Kate O'Hearn run wild. Lenceski went 2-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run, while O'Hearn scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Ava Arnold, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Holy Cross' win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.3 runs over those games. As for Old Forge, their record now sits at 2-4.
Old Forge's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Monday. Holy Cross has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Old Forge, though, as they've been averaging only 2.8 strikeouts. Will Holy Cross keep running through batters, or will the Blue Devils buck the trend?
Holy Cross suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Old Forge in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
