On April 24, the Stroudsburg Mountaineers baseball team sat at a record of 4-9. Team morale was low.  The playoffs seemed impossible.

To make the playoffs, the team would have to win 6 of their next 7 games.

The only catch, all but one of these games were scheduled away games.

Fast forward to May 2, the Mountaineers have won five straight games and are one win away from making the playoffs.

Stroudsburg defeated Pleasant Valley, 17-4, in a game that was called in the 6th inning due to the mercy rule.

Damian Budhai, 9, got the start for Stroudsburg, going 3 innings, allowing three earned runs, striking out four batters.

With him only pitching three innings, Stroudsburg has set him up to potentially be available for Monday’s playoff-clinching game against Pocono Mountain West.

At the plate, OF Pietro Maccarrone, 12, delivered, driving in four runs on two hits, including a double.

P/OF Ryan Pacitti, 9, P/OF Jackson Brancato, 12, P/INF Aidan Brier, 10, INF Jake Bostwick, 11, INF Liam O’Connor, 12, P/INF Paulie Maccarrone, 11, INF Alex Pacitti, 11, P/OF Brian Kitchell, 10, and C Thomas Gonzalez, 10, all recorded an RBI in the 17-4 beating.

Stroudsburg has two more games remaining on the schedule. If they win one game, they will make the playoffs for the first time since 2022, when Phil Stokes was the coach.

On the docket, for Stroudsburg, next Monday is Pocono Mountain West on the road. Stroudsburg defeated Pocono Mountain West back in April, 8-4.