Tamaqua is 2-8 against Pottsville since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Blue Raiders will square off against the Crimson Tide at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Tamaqua's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Panther Valley. The victory continues a trend for the Blue Raiders in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now won four in a row.
Naomi Knitter
| 04/15/25 vs Panther Valley | 9 |
| 04/09/25 vs Mahanoy Area | 7 |
| 03/25/25 vs Pottsville | 7 |
| 03/20/25 vs Schuylkill Haven | 7 |
| 03/27/25 @ Pine Grove | 5 |
Naomi Knitter made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Kolbe Robb was a standout: she scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Leah Crowley, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Pottsville came into Tuesday's game having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They put the hurt on Mahanoy Area with a sharp 14-2 win on Tuesday.
Like Tamaqua, Pottsville also got a great game from a two-way player: Peyton Eckert. On the mound, she struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Eckert was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, Jes Siminitus was incredible, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4. Jo Barnhart also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
Pottsville always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .564. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mahanoy Area only posted an OBP of .211.
Tamaqua pushed their record up to 7-3-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Pottsville, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Everything went Tamaqua's way against Pottsville when the teams last played back in March, as Tamaqua made off with a 10-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Raiders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
