Baseball Preview: Danville Ironmen vs. Shikellamy Braves
The Danville Ironmen will head out on the road to square off against the Shikellamy Braves at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Danville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Danville took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They won by a run and slipped past North Schuylkill 6-5.
Wyatt Shultz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Shultz was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Carter Raup was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2. Matt Acor was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Shikellamy came into Wednesday's game having lost eight straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They were the clear victor by an 8-1 margin over Shamokin Area on Wednesday.
Like Danville, Shikellamy also got a great game from a two-way player: Mark Culp. He struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Culp has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Culp was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with a stolen base and an RBI.
In other batting news, Kayden McClusky was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Cohen Boyer, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4.
Danville has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-5 record this season. As for Shikellamy, their victory ended a six-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-14.
Shikellamy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Danville hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .335. It's a different story for Shikellamy, though, as they've only averaged .214. Will they be able to contain Danville's hitters?
Danville beat Shikellamy 8-4 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Danville since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
