The Hempfield Black Knights are taking a road trip to challenge the Donegal Indians at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Hempfield is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last ten games dating back to last season.
Hempfield will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Central York on Monday. Hempfield came out on top against Central York by a score of 17-14.
Hempfield got a massive performance out of Brayden Hostetter, who scored five runs and stole three bases while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Jevin Seifert, who went 3-for-5 with six RBI, two doubles, and one run.
Hostetter wasn't the only one working in the hit department: Hempfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 20 hits. They got six more hits than Central York's also-impressive total of 14.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Donegal, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Friday. They put the hurt on Warwick with a sharp 10-0 win on Monday. The Indians' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Caleb Rupp made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Rupp was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other pitching news, Ryan Beck looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
Back at the plate, Sawyer Floyd was excellent, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. He also brought in an RBI, marking his first of the season. Shaun DiBello was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
Hempfield's record now sits at 3-0. As for Donegal, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Donegal's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hempfield hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .383. It's a different story for Donegal, though, as they've only averaged .235. Will they be able to contain Hempfield's hitters?
Hempfield beat Donegal 6-1 in their previous meeting back in April of 2018. Does Hempfield have another victory up their sleeve, or will Donegal turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
