Wyoming Valley West hasn't had much luck against Hazleton Area recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Spartans will take on the Cougars at 4:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Wyoming Valley West barely beat Greater Nanticoke Area the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Spartans' pitchers stepped up to hand the Trojans an 11-0 shutout on Monday. The Spartans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matches by six runs or more this season.
Wyoming Valley West got a great performance from Gunner Giza as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out ten over 4.2 innings pitched. Giza has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
D'Vonte Rivers
| 04/07/25 vs Greater Nanticoke Area | 3 |
| 03/27/25 @ Selinsgrove | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Wallenpaupack Area | 2 |
| 03/18/25 vs Carbondale Area | 2 |
| 03/16/25 vs Calvary Day School | 2 |
At the plate, D'Vonte Rivers was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Tanner Ragukas also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Wyoming Valley West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .633. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Hazleton Area got the win against Berwick on Monday by a conclusive 12-0. That 12 run margin sets a new team best for the Cougars this season.
Fred Corrado looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Shea Higgins was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-1. Another player making a difference was Ryan Welch, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2.
Hazleton Area pushed their record up to 3-2 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Wyoming Valley West, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-3 record this season.
Wyoming Valley West came up short against Hazleton Area in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 5-0. Can the Spartans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
