Mountaineers
| 04/30/25 vs Hempfield | 9 |
| 04/28/25 @ Cedar Crest | 8 |
| 04/25/25 vs Cumberland Valley | 6 |
| 04/23/25 @ Manheim Township | 12 |
| 04/21/25 vs J.P. McCaskey | 13 |
| + 12 more games |
The Ephrata Mountaineers will take on the Manheim Central Barons at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Ephrata is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Hempfield hit Ephrata with a six-run fifth inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Mountaineers took a 12-9 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Black Knights. The Mountaineers haven't had much luck with the Black Knights recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Ethan Hunt was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs. Ty Custer was another key player, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last four times Manheim Central and Eastern Lebanon County have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Wednesday. The Barons put the hurt on the Raiders with a sharp 8-2 win. The Barons haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Kyle Mylin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Chase Book, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most doubles he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Brody Groff, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Ephrata's loss dropped their record down to 11-6. As for Manheim Central, their win bumped their record up to 12-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Ephrata has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Manheim Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Ephrata's way against Manheim Central in their previous matchup back in March, as Ephrata made off with an 11-4 victory. Will the Mountaineers repeat their success, or do the Barons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
