The Ferndale Yellow Jackets will head out on the road to square off against the United Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Ferndale will be strutting in after a victory while United will be coming in after a loss.
Having struggled with seven defeats in a row, Ferndale turned things around against Shanksville Stonycreek on Thursday. They blew past the Vikings 14-6. The high-scoring effort was just what the Yellow Jackets needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Josh Mitchell made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over four innings pitched. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Connor Hrivnak, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Brady Ferenchik, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI and two runs.
Ferndale was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Northern Cambria hit United with a six-run third inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Lions fell just short of the Colts by a score of 9-8. The Lions have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Ryan Felix was cooking despite his team's loss, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one double. That triple was his first of the season. Dmitri Worthington was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Ferndale's win was their first in the conference, bumping their conference record up to 1-4 and their overall record up to 2-7. As for United, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8.
Everything went Ferndale's way against United in their previous meeting back in April of 2023, as Ferndale made off with a 12-4 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Yellow Jackets since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
