After two games on the road, West Branch is heading back home. They will take on the Moshannon Valley Black Knights/Damsels at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, West Branch was able to grind out a solid victory over Juniata Valley, taking the game 8-3.
Luke Liptak made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Liptak has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in ten consecutive pitching appearances. Liptak was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Tyler Wilson and Coby Kephart did most of the damage at the plate: Wilson went 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Kephart scored a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Matt Eirich was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 1-for-1.
Meanwhile, Moshannon Valley had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They were the clear victor by a 16-1 margin over Juniata Valley on Wednesday. Considering Moshannon Valley has won four contests by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Like West Branch, Moshannon Valley also got a great game from a two-way player: Rocco Reifer. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over 5.2 innings pitched. Reifer was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Tanner Kephart, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with a home run, two stolen bases, and five RBI. Another player making a difference was JC Smith, who scored two runs while going 4-for-5.
West Branch has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-3 record this season. As for Moshannon Valley, their win bumped their record up to 6-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. West Branch has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Moshannon Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
West Branch took their victory against Moshannon Valley in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 14-1. Does West Branch have another victory up their sleeve, or will Moshannon Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
