The Polytech Panthers will take on the McKean Highlanders at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. Polytech is coming into the game hot, having won their last five games.
Polytech proved they can win big on Friday (they won by 12) and on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They won by a run and slipped past Seaford 3-2.
Elijiah Benton made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: 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 three plate appearances with one stolen base and one run.
In other batting news, Asher Grubb was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Cameron Allen, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI.
Meanwhile, McKean had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against Newark by a score of 6-1 on Thursday.
Gavin Erbayri spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits and racked up eight Ks. He is becoming a predictor of McKean's success: when he allows at most two earned runs the team is 4-2 (and 1-4-1 when he doesn't).
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jake Tumulty, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those stolen bases marked the first that he has snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jey Oquendo, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Polytech's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-3. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for McKean, their victory bumped their record up to 5-6-1.
Polytech took their win against McKean when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 17-0 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Highlanders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
