Kiski Area hasn't had much luck against Franklin Regional recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Cavaliers will head out on the road to take on the Panthers at 4:00 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Kiski Area will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Gateway on Monday. The Cavaliers put the hurt on the Gators with a sharp 16-2 win. Considering the Cavaliers' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Aubrey West spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. Those hits marked the first that she allowed this season.
On the hitting side, Kyla Hutcherson was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Kaylee Morrow, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Franklin Regional ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-4 victory over McKeesport. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Panthers.
Mia Martz tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Toryn Fulton, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one double.
The win got Franklin Regional back to even at 2-2. As for Kiski Area, they moved to 2-4 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Kiski Area hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Franklin Regional struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Kiski Area couldn't quite get it done against Franklin Regional in their previous matchup back in April of 2023 as they fell 6-3. Can the Cavaliers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
