The Cumberland Valley Eagles will face off against the James Buchanan Rockets at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Cumberland Valley 3.3, James Buchanan 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Cumberland Valley is headed into the match having just suffered their closest loss since May 2, 2024 on Monday. They fell just short of Central Dauphin by a score of 3-1. The Eagles haven't had much luck with the Rams recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.
Cumberland Valley got a good showing from Curtis Shinn, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. What's more, Shinn gave up only one walk, the fewest he's had since back in March.
Meanwhile, James Buchanan hadn't done well against Boiling Springs recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Rockets were the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over the Bubblers. The result was nothing new for the Rockets, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Drew Crouse was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched six innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jake Miller, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Jimmy Bell, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
James Buchanan was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Boiling Springs only posted a batting average of .222.
James Buchanan has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Cumberland Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cumberland Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like James Buchanan struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
