Baseball Game Preview: Richland Rams vs. Huntingdon Bearcats

The Richland Rams are taking a road trip to take on the Huntingdon Bearcats at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Richland has given up an average of 8.2 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Richland came up short against Somerset on Thursday, falling 16-6. The defeat continues a trend for the Rams in their meetings with the Eagles: they've now lost five in a row.

Huntingdon came out on top against Penn Cambria on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run third inning. The Bearcats were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Panthers. That ten run margin sets a new team best for the Bearcats this season.

Huntingdon got a great performance from Eric Mykut as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Those seven strikeouts gave Mykut a new career-high.

At the plate, Erick Rupert was excellent, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Bowden Woodward, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Huntingdon always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .517. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Penn Cambria only posted an OBP of .211.

Huntingdon is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.9 runs over those games. As for Richland, their loss dropped their record down to 5-11.

Richland beat Huntingdon 6-2 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Rams since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.