The Newport Buffaloes are taking a road trip to square off against the Halifax Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Newport had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the ten-run drubbing they dealt East Juniata on Wednesday. The Buffaloes were the clear victors by a 13-3 margin over the Tigers. The victory continues a trend for the Buffaloes in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won seven in a row.
Landon Zaring
| 04/22/25 @ Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy | 4 |
| 04/14/25 @ Juniata | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ East Juniata | 3 |
| 03/28/25 vs Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy | 3 |
| 03/26/25 @ Line Mountain | 3 |
| + 6 more games |
Landon Zaring made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off nine hits. Zaring was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs. He has become a key player for Newport: the team is 8-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zachary Bates, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March. Jameson Cummins was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Halifax got the win against Juniata on Wednesday by a conclusive 12-1.
Like Newport, Halifax also got a great game from a two-way player: Josh Zahurak. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Zahurak has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
In other batting news, Brandon Schell and Cooper Custer did most of the damage at the plate: Schell got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Custer went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and one run. That double was Schell's first of the season.
Halifax hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Juniata struck out seven times.
Halifax's win was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Newport, their record now sits at 10-4.
Newport came up short against Halifax in their previous meeting two weeks ago, falling 7-3. Can the Buffaloes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
