Wyoming Valley West is 0-10 against Hazleton Area since May of 2019 but things could change on Wednesday. The Spartans will look to defend their home field against the Cougars at 4:30 p.m. Hazleton Area took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Wyoming Valley West, who comes in off a win.
Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Wyoming Valley West turned things around against Crestwood on Thursday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Comets, sneaking past 6-5. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Dioneivy Taveras
| 05/01/25 vs Crestwood | 3 |
| 04/17/25 vs Pittston | 2 |
| 03/15/25 vs Palmyra | 1 |
| 04/27/24 @ Bethlehem Catholic | 1 |
Ray Chimock and Dioneivy Taveras dominated on the mound. Chimock tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits, while Taveras tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. The dominant performance also gave Taveras a new career-high in strikeouts (three).
At the plate, Damien Eastman was a standout: he got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Noah Fetko, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI and one double.
Wyoming Valley West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, Hazleton Area was a bit more limited in their game on Monday. They fell 6-2 to Pittston. The Cougars' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Ryan Racho was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Wyoming Valley West's victory bumped their record up to 7-10. As for Hazleton Area, their loss dropped their record down to 11-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Wyoming Valley West has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hazleton Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Wyoming Valley West couldn't quite finish off Hazleton Area when the teams last played back in April and fell 5-3. Will the Spartans have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
