Cougars
| 04/11/25 @ Crestwood | 3 |
| 04/09/25 vs Wyoming Valley West | 5 |
| 04/07/25 @ Berwick | 12 |
| 04/03/25 vs Pittston | 4 |
| 04/01/25 @ Greater Nanticoke Area | 15 |
| + 2 more games |
Hazleton Area is 9-1 against Dallas since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Cougars will welcome the Mountaineers at 4:30 p.m. Hazleton Area is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season.
While Hazleton Area's victory against Crestwood wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Cougars had just enough and edged out the Comets 3-2. The three-run effort marked the Cougars' lowest-scoring contest of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.
Aj Collevechio looked comfortable as he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
On the hitting side, Hazleton Area saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryan Racho, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Shea Higgins was another, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Dallas, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Berwick with a sharp 14-1 win on Monday. The matchup marked the Mountaineers' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Peyton Vanvalkenburg looked comfortable as he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (three).
At the plate, Kaden Coyne was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. He also launched a home run, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Connor Healey, who scored two runs while going 2-for-2.
Dallas always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .594. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Hazleton Area's win was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.2 runs over those games. As for Dallas, the win got them back to even at 3-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hazleton Area has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Dallas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hazleton Area skirted past Dallas 4-3 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Mountaineers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
