The Palmyra Cougars are taking a road trip to take on the Donegal Indians at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday. Palmyra will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Palmyra had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Central Dauphin East on Wednesday. The Cougars were the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over the Panthers. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won seven matchups by eight runs or more so far this season.
Aiden Willard
| 04/30/25 vs Central Dauphin East | 3 |
| 04/03/25 vs Lower Dauphin | 0 |
| 04/15/24 vs Exeter Township | 1 |
| 04/09/24 vs West York Area | 3 |
Aiden Willard made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple.
In other pitching news, Blake Deiter tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five).
Willard wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Braedon Sommer, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI. Nate Osteen was another, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Donegal came out on top against Garden Spot on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive 11-run sixth inning. The Indians blew past the Spartans 15-5. The Indians haven't had any issues with the Spartans recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive victory against them.
Donegal got a massive performance out of Shaun DiBello, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Evan Niehaus also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Palmyra pushed their record up to 17-0 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Donegal, their record is now 11-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Palmyra has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Donegal struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
