The Elk Lake Warriors will head out to face off against the Dunmore Bucks at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Elk Lake 1.8, Dunmore 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Wednesday, Elk Lake needed a bit of extra time to put away Carbondale Area. They had just enough and edged out the Chargers 2-1. The victory continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Chargers: they've now won four in a row.
The team relied heavily on Logan Ayotte, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. Austin Brown was another key player, getting on base in both of his plate appearances with two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Dunmore entered their tilt with Western Wayne on Wednesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against the Wildcats. That's two games straight that the Bucks have won by just one run.
Mason Stets was a major factor no matter where he played. He tossed 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Bobby Hoban was incredible, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
Elk Lake pushed their record up to 12-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Dunmore, their record now sits at 16-3.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Elk Lake hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .353. However, it's not like Dunmore struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Elk Lake might still be hurting after the 11-4 defeat they got from Dunmore in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
