vs
| 05/07/24 - Away | 1-3 L |
| 04/24/24 - Away | 7-5 W |
| 05/11/23 - Home | 9-4 W |
| 04/05/23 - Home | 2-4 L |
| 04/06/22 - Away | 1-9 L |
| + 5 more games |
Bethlehem Central and Shaker are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Eagles will be playing at home against the Bison at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Thursday, Bethlehem Central needed a bit of extra time to put away Ballston Spa. They had just enough and edged out the Scotties 3-2. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Eagles as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Jack Cunningham tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Bethlehem Central saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Owen Turner, who went 2-for-4 with one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Shaker, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They never let Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake get on the board and left with an 11-0 win on Friday. The Bison might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Tye Mariano and PJ Strand were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Mariano struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Strand kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. At bat, Mariano went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI, while Strand went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base was Mariano's first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tom Case, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Sean Hurley, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs.
Shaker always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake only posted an OBP of .250.
Shaker pushed their record up to 7-1 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Bethlehem Central, their victory bumped their record up to 3-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bethlehem Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Shaker struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 12.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bethlehem Central couldn't quite finish off Shaker when the teams last played back in May of 2024 and fell 3-1. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
