Fannett Metal will square off against the McConnellsburg Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Fannett Metal 3.5, McConnellsburg 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Fannett Metal took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Southern Fulton by a score of 7-3.
Landon Arnold spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
Ayden Ryder
| 05/07/25 vs Southern Fulton | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ Everett | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Windber | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Southern Huntingdon County | 1 |
| 04/15/24 @ Tussey Mountain | 1 |
At the plate, Ayden Ryder was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. Jake Coffman was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, McConnellsburg suffered their closest loss since April 18, 2024 on Tuesday. They fell just short of Southern Fulton by a score of 5-3.
McConnellsburg saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kayden Marpoe, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Fannett Metal's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for McConnellsburg, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Fannett Metal has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like McConnellsburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Fannett Metal took their win against McConnellsburg in their previous meeting back in March by a conclusive 16-2 score. Will Fannett Metal repeat their success, or does McConnellsburg has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
