Bison
| 04/25/25 vs Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake | 11 |
| 04/23/25 @ Ballston Spa | 2 |
| 04/17/25 @ Albany | 14 |
| 04/15/25 vs Rome Free Academy | 14 |
| 04/14/25 vs Guilderland | 3 |
| + 3 more games |
Shaker and Bethlehem Central are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2018, but likely not for long. The Bison will head out to square off against the Eagles at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. Shaker is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Shaker barely beat Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Bison blew past the Spartans 11-0 on Friday. The Bison have beaten the Spartans the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Spartans has come to flipping the script.
Tye Mariano and PJ Strand made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Mariano struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Strand kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. Mariano has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. At the plate, Mariano went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI, while Strand went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That stolen base was Mariano's first of the season.
In other batting news, Tom Case was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Sean Hurley was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs.
Shaker always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .538. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake only posted an OBP of .250.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Bethlehem Central ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Ballston Spa 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Eagles have posted since June 7, 2024.
Bethlehem Central also got a great performance from Jack Cunningham as he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, Bethlehem Central's victory was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Owen Turner, who went 2-for-4 with one run.
Shaker's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.0 runs over those games. As for Bethlehem Central, their win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-8.
Bethlehem Central's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Shaker hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. It's a different story for Bethlehem Central, though, as they've only averaged .225. Will they be able to contain Shaker's hitters?
Shaker came out on top in a nail-biter against Bethlehem Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, sneaking past 3-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bison since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
