The Mount Union Trojans will take on the Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Mount Union has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Claysburg-Kimmel will arrive with 16 straight wins.
Friday just wasn't the day for Mount Union's offense. They came up short against Mifflin County on Friday, falling 14-0.
Southern Huntingdon County typically has all the answers at home, but on Friday Claysburg-Kimmel proved too difficult a challenge. They put the hurt on the Rockets with a sharp 9-2 victory. Considering the Bulldogs have won 11 matchups by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Isabella Paris was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other batting news, Bella Francona and Payton Hinish did most of the damage at the plate: Francona went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and two runs, while Hinish went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and one run. That's the most RBI Hinish has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was McKenna Black, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Claysburg-Kimmel kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive games.
Claysburg-Kimmel's win was their ninth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.9 runs on average over those games. As for Mount Union, their loss dropped their record down to 5-11.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mount Union has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Claysburg-Kimmel struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Mount Union suffered a grim 14-0 defeat to Claysburg-Kimmel when the teams last played last Friday. Will the Trojans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
