vs
| 04/03/23 - Away | 0-11 L |
| 04/05/22 - Home | 11-3 W |
| 04/24/21 - Away | 13-9 W |
| 05/08/19 - Home | 1-7 L |
| 04/03/19 - Away | 1-7 L |
| + 5 more games |
Allentown Central Catholic and Nazareth Area are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Vikings are taking a road trip to square off against the Blue Eagles at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Allentown Central Catholic comes in on seven and Nazareth Area on four.
Allentown Central Catholic took a seven-run loss the last time they faced off against Freedom, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Vikings came out on top in a nail-biter against the Patriots on Tuesday, sneaking past 2-1. While the Vikings didn't have the best season last year (they finished 10-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Nolan Young spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on one hit and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Allentown Central Catholic saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Bowser, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Nazareth Area posted their closest win since May 13, 2024 on Thursday. They never let Easton Area get on the board and left with a 2-0 victory.
Ryan Petruska made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Petruska was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one triple and two RBI.
Allentown Central Catholic's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Nazareth Area, their record now sits at 4-2.
Nazareth Area's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Allentown Central Catholic hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .361. It's a different story for Nazareth Area, though, as they've only averaged .245. Will they be able to contain Allentown Central Catholic's hitters?
Allentown Central Catholic suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Nazareth Area in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Can the Vikings avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
