Warrior Run hasn't had much luck against Hughesville recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Defenders will look to defend their home field against the Spartans at 4:30 p.m. Both teams are still undefeated after four games, but that won't be the case come Friday.
Warrior Run will bounce into Friday's game after beating Southern Columbia Area, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Defenders put the hurt on the Tigers with a sharp 12-6 win on Thursday. Considering the Defenders have won three matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Stone Allison was incredible, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Cohen Zechman was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Warrior Run kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, Hughesville has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.5 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Mifflinburg 11-10.
Graden Dohl made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Blake Babb looked comfortable as he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Back at the plate, Trent Wetzel and Jackson Lunger did most of the damage at the plate: Wetzel scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3, while Lunger went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Wetzel has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Kyler Solomon, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Warrior Run pushed their record up to 4-0 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.2 runs over those games. As for Hughesville, their victory bumped their record up to 4-0.
Warrior Run was able to grind out a solid win over Hughesville when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 9-5. Do the Defenders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Spartans turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
