Baseball Game Preview: East Juniata Tigers vs. Newport Buffaloes

East Juniata is 1-9 against Newport since May of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Tigers will challenge the Buffaloes at 4:30 p.m. East Juniata has given up an average of 12.3 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

East Juniata managed to slip by Greenwood the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Tigers came up short against the Wildcats on Tuesday, falling 16-5. The Tigers' loss continues a trend for the team, making it four in a row.

Kelton Bonnell made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one home run.

The home team had come away the winner the last four times Newport and Susquenita had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Buffaloes sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 victory over the Blackhawks on Monday. The game was the first time the Buffaloes have beaten the Blackhawks on their field since April 8, 2023.

Aden Banks made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over seven innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in eight consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.

Banks wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was John Mayersky, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one RBI.

Newport pushed their record up to 9-4 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for East Juniata, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-11.

East Juniata suffered a grim 15-4 defeat to Newport in their previous meeting on April 4th. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.