The Hempfield Black Knights are taking a road trip to take on the Ephrata Mountaineers at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Hempfield is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
On Monday, Hempfield was able to grind out a solid win over Penn Manor, taking the game 6-3.
Liam Ahern
| 03/29/25 vs Central Dauphin | 3 |
| 04/04/25 @ Lampeter-Strasburg | 4 |
| 04/14/25 vs Ephrata | 4 |
| 04/23/25 @ Cedar Crest | 4 |
| 03/24/25 @ Central York | 6 |
Liam Ahern spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up eight Ks. Those eight strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Brayden Hostetter, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. That triple was his first of the season. Jonathan O'Maille was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Hempfield was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. The last time their batting average was this high was back in March.
Meanwhile, Ephrata was not the first on the board on Monday, but they got there more often. They walked away with an 8-5 victory over Cedar Crest. The win continues a trend for the Mountaineers in their matchups with the Falcons: they've now won nine in a row.
Ty Custer was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with five stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those five stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Chase Prange, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Ephrata's record is now 11-5. As for Hempfield, their victory was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-0.
Ephrata's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hempfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .329. It's a different story for Ephrata, though, as they've only averaged .249. Will they be able to contain Hempfield's hitters?
Hempfield came out on top in a nail-biter against Ephrata in their previous meeting two weeks ago, sneaking past 10-9. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Black Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
