The Hempfield Black Knights will head out on the road to challenge the Penn Manor Comets at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Hempfield will come into the matchup with an undefeated record on the line.
If Hempfield beats Penn Manor with eight runs on Wednesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Black Knights blew past Cedar Crest 8-1 on Tuesday. Considering the Black Knights have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Hempfield let Jonathan O'Maille and Brayden Hostetter run wild. O'Maille scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Hostetter scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Joshua Toole, who went 1-for-3 with three RBI and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Penn Manor). They walked away with a 9-4 victory over J.P. McCaskey on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Comets in their matchups with the Red Tornado: they've now won seven in a row.
Billy Riggs was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Riggs was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Angel Luna was excellent, going 2-for-5 with four RBI and one double. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Jackson Stuart was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Penn Manor kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Hempfield pushed their record up to 8-0 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Penn Manor, their record now sits at 2-5.
Penn Manor's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hempfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .362. It's a different story for Penn Manor, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain Hempfield's hitters?
Hempfield came out on top in a nail-biter against Penn Manor in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Black Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
