Hazleton Area is 9-1 against Berwick since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Cougars will be playing at home against the Bulldogs at 4:30 p.m. The timing is sure in Hazleton Area's favor as the squad sits on six straight wins at home while Berwick has been banged up by three consecutive losses on the road.
Hazleton Area barely beat Wyoming Valley West the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars blew past the Spartans 13-3 on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.
Dominic Marino
| 05/07/25 @ Wyoming Valley West | 10 |
| 04/26/25 vs Parkland | 7 |
| 04/15/25 vs Dallas | 7 |
| 04/09/25 vs Wyoming Valley West | 6 |
| 04/21/25 vs Wilkes-Barre | 3 |
Dominic Marino made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, earning one run and three stolen bases.
In other batting news, Shea Higgins was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Logan Hearity was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Berwick came into Wednesday's contest having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They never let Greater Nanticoke Area get on the board and left with a 5-0 win on Wednesday. That looming 5-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Bulldogs yet this season.
The result came thanks to Cole Phillips's shutout, as he gave up just three hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Berwick saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Luke Sult, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run. Derek Pinterich also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Hazleton Area has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Berwick, their win bumped their record up to 3-15.
Hazleton Area took their victory against Berwick when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 12-0 score. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Bulldogs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
