Central Mountain has gone a perfect 10-0 against Jersey Shore recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Wildcats will take on the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Central Mountain has six straight victories, Jersey Shore has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Central Mountain's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. Everything went their way against Shikellamy as they made off with a 10-0 win. That's two games straight that the Wildcats have won by exactly ten runs.
Bryce Brungard
| 04/09/25 vs Shikellamy | 3 |
| 04/17/24 @ Loyalsock Township | 0 |
| 03/25/24 vs Milton | 3 |
Bryce Brungard made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one RBI.
In other pitching news, Dane Hanna looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched.
Back at the plate, Watt Probst was a standout: he scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Those two runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Blake Walker, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Central Mountain always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .529. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shikellamy only posted an OBP of .227.
Meanwhile, Jersey Shore fell victim to Warrior Run and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Defenders by a score of 1-0. The match marked the first time this season in which the Bulldogs were not able to get on the board.
Landyn Rhea was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
Jersey Shore's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Central Mountain, their record is now 6-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Central Mountain has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Jersey Shore struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Central Mountain beat Jersey Shore 7-2 when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
