Mount Union is 10-0 against West Branch since April of 2018, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Mount Union Trojans are on the road again to play the West Branch Warriors at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mount Union is headed into the contest fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Tussey Mountain a 17-0 shutout on Wednesday. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Mount Union with their most commanding win of the season.
Bryce Danish was a standout: he went 4-for-4 with five RBI, a stolen base, and a double. Cainen Atherton was another key contributor, scoring four runs while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, West Branch came tearing into Tuesday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.3 runs) and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Black Knights/Damsels as they made off with a 14-1 victory.
Luke Liptak was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. Liptak has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive pitching appearances. Liptak was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with four RBI, a run, and a double.
In other batting news, Nick Parks was excellent, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Zach Mcgonigal, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Mount Union's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for West Branch, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1.
Thursday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Mount Union has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. However, it's not like West Branch struggles in that department as they've averaged .487. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mount Union took their win against West Branch in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 7-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for Mount Union since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
