The Manheim Central Barons will head out to face off against the Ephrata Mountaineers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Manheim Central will be strutting in after a win while Ephrata will be coming in after a defeat.
Manheim Central barely beat Eastern Lebanon County the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Barons blew past the Raiders 8-2 on Wednesday. The game snapped a strange streak: the last four times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Kyle Mylin
| 04/30/25 vs Eastern Lebanon County | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Lampeter-Strasburg | 1 |
| 04/21/25 vs Garden Spot | 2 |
| 04/16/25 vs Donegal | 1 |
| 04/14/25 @ Eastern Lebanon County | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
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.
Hempfield hit Ephrata with a six-run fifth inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Mountaineers fell 12-9 to 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 made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs. Chase Prange was another key player, getting on base in two of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Manheim Central's victory bumped their record up to 12-6. As for Ephrata, their loss dropped their record down to 11-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Manheim Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Ephrata struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Manheim Central might still be hurting after the 11-4 defeat they got from Ephrata when the teams last played back in March. Can the Barons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
