The Abington Heights Comets will square off against the North Pocono Trojans at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Abington Heights 2.3, North Pocono 2.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Abington Heights is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Stroudsburg just ended the team's six-game winning streak on Saturday. They took an 11-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mountaineers. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Comets, who until this game were averaging 2.27 runs allowed.
Abington Heights got a good showing from Harshal Patel, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, Patel gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Derek Locker made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Conner Abel, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, North Pocono never let their opponents score on Saturday. They blew past Scranton 10-0. The result was nothing new for the Trojans, who have now won four contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Cael Hafner made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, earning two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Jason Walsh and Rory McAndrew did most of the damage at the plate: Walsh went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double, while McAndrew went 1-for-2 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. Those three RBI gave McAndrew a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Nick Reese, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two RBI.
North Pocono hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive matchups.
Abington Heights' defeat dropped their record down to 9-2. As for North Pocono, their win bumped their record up to 8-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Abington Heights has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like North Pocono struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Abington Heights skirted past North Pocono 10-9 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Comets have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Trojans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
