The Newport Buffaloes will face off against the Juniata Indians at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
On Wednesday, Newport was able to grind out a solid victory over Greenwood, taking the game 10-5. The win continues a trend for the Buffaloes in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won six in a row.
Chris Imler
| 05/07/25 vs Greenwood | 4 |
| 04/22/25 @ Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy | 3 |
| 03/22/25 vs Greenwood | 3 |
| 04/30/25 vs East Juniata | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Juniata | 2 |
Newport got a massive performance out of Chris Imler, who went 2-for-4 with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those four runs gave Imler a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jameson Cummins, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple.
Newport was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Greenwood only posted a batting average of .160.
Juniata came out on top against East Juniata on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run third inning. The Indians narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Tigers 14-13.
Bryce Harlon made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Harlon was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Juniata's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 3-0-1 (and 5-8 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Gage Harlon was incredible, going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Juniata is 2-0-1 when Harlon posts two or more runs, but 6-8 otherwise.
Newport's win bumped their record up to 12-5. As for Juniata, the victory got them back to even at 8-8-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Newport has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Juniata struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Newport took their win against Juniata in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 11-1 score. Will the Buffaloes repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
