The Mechanicsburg Wildcats will face off against the Greencastle-Antrim Blue Devils at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Mechanicsburg came out on top against Northern York on Saturday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fourth inning. The Wildcats took their match against the Polar Bears 11-6. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcats.
Eli Reider
| 05/10/25 @ Northern York | 4 |
| 03/29/25 @ Twin Valley | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Central York | 2 |
| 04/29/25 vs Central Dauphin | 1 |
| 04/17/25 @ Cedar Cliff | 1 |
Eli Reider was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing four innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Drake Dawson and Luke Bencivenga did most of the damage at the plate: Dawson got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two RBI and one run, while Bencivenga got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs. That's the most RBI Dawson has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Nick Patrick, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs.
Meanwhile, Greencastle-Antrim had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Bulldogs a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Blue Devils, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Mechanicsburg, Greencastle-Antrim also got a great game from a two-way player: Carter McCauley. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over six innings pitched. McCauley has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
In other batting news, Greencastle-Antrim let Elvin Robles and Manny Brookens run wild. Robles went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run, while Brookens went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Nolan Sullivan was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
Greencastle-Antrim was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Mechanicsburg's victory bumped their record up to 12-7. As for Greencastle-Antrim, their win bumped their record up to 10-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mechanicsburg has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Greencastle-Antrim struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mechanicsburg was able to grind out a solid victory over Greencastle-Antrim in their previous meeting back in May of 2023, winning 6-1. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Blue Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
