The Berkshire Badgers will face off against the Pymatuning Valley Lakers at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with five losses in a row, Berkshire turned things around against Geneva on Monday. They had just enough and edged out the Eagles 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Badgers have posted since April 30th.
Holden Hedrick was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Berkshire is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 2-14 otherwise. Hedrick was also big at the plate, going 3-for-6 with two RBI.
Paden Brent
| 05/19/25 vs Geneva | 7 |
| 04/22/25 vs Wickliffe | 3 |
| 04/16/25 @ Kirtland | 2 |
| 05/13/25 vs Grand Valley | 1 |
| 05/08/25 @ Beachwood | 1 |
In other pitching news, Paden Brent tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Sam Barcikoski, who went 3-for-7 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Patrick Brancel, who got on base in five of his seven plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Berkshire kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Pymatuning Valley hadn't done well against Lakeside recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Lakers put the hurt on the Dragons with a sharp 12-3 win. The Lakers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by seven runs or more this season.
The victory snapped Pymatuning Valley's losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 16-6 record. As for Berkshire, their win bumped their record up to 5-14.
Berkshire took their victory against Pymatuning Valley in their previous matchup back in March of 2015 by a conclusive 19-0 score. Do the Badgers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lakers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
