The West Shamokin Wolves will head out on the road to face off against the Cambria Heights Highlanders at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Cambria Heights will be up against a hot West Shamokin squad: the team just extended their winning streak to three. The Wolves came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 10-9 W against United. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wolves have posted since March 13th.
West Shamokin let Luke McCullough and Ben McConnell run wild. McCullough scored a run while going 2-for-4, while McConnell scored two runs while going 1-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Logan Geist, who scored three runs and stole two bases.
Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Cambria Heights ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Marion Center 5-3. The Highlanders haven't had any issues with the Stingers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Nolan Clawson and Stephen Nelen made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Clawson struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Meanwhile, Nelen tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Clawson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Clawson went 1-for-4 with one triple and one run, while Nelen got on base in three of his six plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI. That triple marked the first that Clawson hit this season.
In other batting news, Tristan Weakland was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-5. Another player making a difference was Anthony Swander, who went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
Cambria Heights kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
West Shamokin pushed their record up to 7-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Cambria Heights, their record is now 7-3.
Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. West Shamokin has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Cambria Heights struggles in that department as they've averaged .433. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Shamokin came up short against Cambria Heights in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 6-1. Can the Wolves avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
