The Cambria Heights Highlanders will square off against the West Shamokin Wolves at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Monday, Cambria Heights needed a bit of extra time to put away Marion Center. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over the Stingers. The Highlanders haven't had any issues with the Stingers recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Nolan Clawson and Stephen Nelen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Clawson struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Meanwhile, Nelen pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Clawson has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Clawson went 1-for-4 with one triple and one run, while Nelen got on base in three of his six plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI. That triple marked the first that Clawson hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tristan Weakland, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Anthony Swander, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Cambria Heights kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
The home team had won the previous five meetings between West Shamokin and United, and West Shamokin kept the tradition alive. The Wolves had just enough and edged out the Lions 10-9 on Monday. While the Wolves didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-13), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Luke McCullough and Ben McConnell did most of the damage at the plate: McCullough scored a run while going 2-for-4, while McConnell scored two runs while going 1-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Braden Talmadge, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
West Shamokin has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Cambria Heights, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cambria Heights has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .433. However, it's not like West Shamokin struggles in that department as they've averaged .434. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cambria Heights beat West Shamokin 6-1 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Will the Highlanders repeat their success, or do the Wolves have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
