Baseball Game Preview: Erie Royals vs. Harbor Creek Huskies

Erie is 0-6 against Harbor Creek since April of 2018 but things could change on Friday. The Royals will be playing in front of their home fans against the Huskies at 4:30 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.

Erie fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against Meadville on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 5-4. The Royals just can't catch a break and have now endured five defeats in a row.

Chase Benedict was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Benedict was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.

In other batting news, Collin Nuber was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-5 with one triple and one RBI. That RBI marked the first that he brought in this season. Rafael Velasquez was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Wednesday just wasn't the day for Harbor Creek's offense. They fell just short of McDowell by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday. Having soared to a lofty 12 runs in the game before, the Huskies' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.

Harbor Creek also got a good showing from Noah Sprickman, who pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Sprickman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.

Harbor Creek moved to 4-3 with that loss, which also ended their three-game winning streak. As for Erie, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.

Erie couldn't quite get it done against Harbor Creek in their previous matchup back in April of 2022 as they fell 7-3. Can the Royals avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.