Bears
| 05/07/25 @ Youngsville | 5 |
| 05/05/25 vs Seneca | 7 |
| 04/30/25 vs Iroquois | 1 |
| 04/28/25 vs Eisenhower | 17 |
| 04/24/25 @ Seneca | 11 |
| + 5 more games |
The Union City Bears are taking a road trip to face off against the Mercyhurst Prep Lakers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Union City is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Union City will bounce into Friday's contest after beating Youngsville, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Bears had just enough and edged out the Eagles 5-4 on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Bears.
Aiden Shuman was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Wright, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, Mercyhurst Prep entered their tilt with Eisenhower on Wednesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They never let the Knights get on the board and left with an 18-0 win. The Lakers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 matches by six runs or more this season.
Noah Reigel was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Manendo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
Mercyhurst Prep hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive games.
Mercyhurst Prep pushed their record up to 15-1 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Union City, their record now sits at 7-3.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Union City hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .312. However, it's not like Mercyhurst Prep struggles in that department as they've averaged .423. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Union City couldn't quite get it done against Mercyhurst Prep when the teams last played back in May of 2019 as they fell 4-0. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
