Baseball Recap: West Branch Find Success

West Branch proved they can win big on Tuesday (they won by 14) and on Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out the Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Warriors have posted since May 14, 2024.

Lukas Colton was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. He has become a key player for West Branch: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-4 otherwise.

Coby Kephart

Runs

04/24/25 vs Claysburg-Kimmel	2
04/17/25 @ Bucktail	2
04/01/25 vs Curwensville	2
03/25/25 @ Williamsburg	2
04/22/25 @ Glendale	1
+ 4 more games

Colton wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Coby Kephart, who went 2-for-3 with two runs. Kephart is becoming a predictor of West Branch's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-4 when he doesn't).

West Branch has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Claysburg-Kimmel, their defeat was their third straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 7-5.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. West Branch will welcome Harmony Area at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The Warriors are facing the Owls at the right time seeing as the Owls are stuck on a four-game losing streak. As for Claysburg-Kimmel, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Mount Union at 1:30 p.m. on Friday. The Trojans' pitching crew has only allowed four runs per game this season, so the Bulldogs' hitters will have their work cut out for them.