The Butler Golden Tornado will head out to square off against the Hempfield Area Spartans at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Butler's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Hempfield Area's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Butler is headed into Tuesday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. They fell 7-4 to North Allegheny.
Aaron Lunn was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Preston Richter made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Nolan Stefaniak, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hempfield Area, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They skirted past Mt. Lebanon 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Spartans have posted against the Blue Devils since April 22, 2022.
Hempfield Area also got a great performance from Josh Cayer as he didn't allow a single earned run over 6.2 innings pitched. Cayer also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because the Spartans are undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-6 otherwise.
At the plate, Hempfield Area's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Chase Sikorski, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Evan Dunlap was another, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Hempfield Area's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 5-6. As for Butler, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.
Butler took their win against Hempfield Area in their previous matchup back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 9-1 score. Do the Golden Tornado have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
