Wyoming Valley West hasn't had much luck against Dallas recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Spartans will venture away from home to square off against the Mountaineers at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Wyoming Valley West turned things around against Crestwood on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Comets, sneaking past 6-5. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Dioneivy Taveras
| 05/01/25 vs Crestwood | 3 |
| 04/17/25 vs Pittston | 2 |
| 03/15/25 vs Palmyra | 1 |
| 04/27/24 @ Bethlehem Catholic | 1 |
Ray Chimock and Dioneivy Taveras dominated on the mound. Chimock tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits, while Taveras tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave Taveras a new career-high in strikeouts (three).
At the plate, Damien Eastman was a standout: he got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. D'Vonte Rivers was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one triple.
Wyoming Valley West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Dallas was able to grind out a solid victory over Williamsport on Friday, taking the game 8-5. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Mountaineers.
Aaron Patton looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brady Youngblood, who went 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Jude Nocito, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Dallas pushed their record up to 10-5 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Wyoming Valley West, their win bumped their record up to 7-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wyoming Valley West has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Dallas struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Wyoming Valley West suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Dallas in their previous meeting back in April. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
