West Branch is 0-10 against Mount Union since April of 2019 but things could change on Wednesday. The Warriors will venture away from home to challenge the Trojans at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Monday, West Branch made easy work of Moshannon Valley and carried off a 12-2 victory. The Warriors haven't had any issues with the Black Knights/Damsels recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Lukas Colton was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. West Branch is undefeated when Colton posts eight or more strikeouts, but 1-2 otherwise. Colton was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs while going 2-for-3.
Logan Liptak
| 04/14/25 vs Moshannon Valley | 2 |
| 03/24/25 vs Huntingdon | 1 |
| 03/19/25 vs Glendale | 1 |
| 04/29/24 vs Harmony Area | 1 |
| 04/15/24 vs Bucktail | 1 |
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Logan Liptak, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Those two hits gave him a new career-high. Kaleb Warren-Kio also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
West Branch always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Mount Union waltzed into their match on Monday with five straight wins... but they left with six. They blew past the Rockets 19-7. The game marked the Trojans' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Like West Branch, Mount Union also got a great game from a two-way player: Cody McClain. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. McClain has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Mount Union let Abe Weirich and Dylan Shawver run wild. Weirich went 3-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one triple, while Shawver went 3-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Shawver continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jamon Ranck, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Mount Union's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for West Branch, their record is now 4-2.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. West Branch hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. However, it's not like Mount Union struggles in that department as they've averaged .321. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
West Branch couldn't quite get it done against Mount Union in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 3-0. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
