After two games on the road, West Branch is heading back home. They will take on the Bucktail Bucks at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. West Branch is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 12.3 runs per game this season.
In what's become a running theme this season, West Branch gave their fans yet another huge victory on Saturday. They put the hurt on Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy with a sharp 12-3 win.
Luke Liptak and Lukas Colton made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Liptak struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off five hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Colton struck out seven batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Liptak has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Liptak scored two runs while going 3-for-5, while Colton went 4-for-5 with three runs, four RBI, and a triple.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zach Mcgonigal, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Isaac Tiracorda was another key contributor, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, sadly, Bucktail is still looking for their first win of the season after six games. They fell victim to a tough 12-2 loss at the hands of Cameron County on Wednesday.
Bucktail saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Keller Friese, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-2.
West Branch's victory bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Bucktail, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.
Bucktail's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: West Branch has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.9 hits per game. It's a different story for Bucktail, though, as they've been averaging 11. Given West Branch's sizable advantage in that area, Bucktail will need to find a way to close that gap.
West Branch took their win against Bucktail when the teams last played back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 20-3. Will West Branch repeat their success, or does Bucktail have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
