The Huntington Huntsmen will challenge the Unioto Shermans at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Huntington 4.1, Unioto 2.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Huntington took a six-run defeat the last time they faced off against Southeastern, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Huntsmen had just enough and edged out the Panthers 3-2 on Wednesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Huntsmen have posted since May 21, 2024.
Brayden Elliott
| 04/25/25 vs Westfall | 3 |
| 04/28/25 @ Adena | 2 |
| 05/07/25 @ Southeastern | 1 |
| 04/02/25 vs McClain | 1 |
Brayden Elliott spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on two hits and racked up 12 Ks. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Huntington is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 6-7 otherwise.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Troy McDonald, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. He has become a key player for Huntington: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 5-7 otherwise.
Meanwhile, Unioto had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 7-1 margin over the Warriors. The result was nothing new for the Shermans, who have now won eight contests by six runs or more so far this season.
David Long made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over 4.1 innings pitched. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That stolen base was his first of the season.
In other batting news, KB Perkins was excellent, going 1-for-4 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Jack Welch, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Unioto's win was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-6. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.7 runs on average over those games. As for Huntington, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a massive bump to their 10-7 record this season.
Huntington couldn't quite finish off Unioto when the teams last played back in April and fell 8-6. Will the Huntsmen have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
