Conemaugh Valley hasn't had much luck against Conemaugh Township recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Blue Jays will face off against the Indians at 4:00 p.m. Conemaugh Valley's pitching crew has only allowed 3.3 runs per game this season, so Conemaugh Township's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Conemaugh Valley will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Monday, then bounced right back against Penns Manor on Wednesday. The Blue Jays were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over the Comets. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Blue Jays' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Jeremy Dietz and Gavin Buchan did most of the damage at the plate: Dietz went 1-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs, while Buchan went 1-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most RBI Dietz has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Joey Toth, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: Conemaugh Valley lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Conemaugh Township had just enough and edged out Marion Center 8-7 on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Indians.
Conemaugh Township let Reed Conn and Colin Dinyar run wild. Conn went 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Dinyar scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Conemaugh Township's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Conemaugh Valley, their record is now 6-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Conemaugh Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Conemaugh Township struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Conemaugh Valley skirted past Conemaugh Township 4-3 in their previous matchup on April 1st. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Blue Jays since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
