vs
| 04/26/24 - Home | 7-1 W |
| 04/17/24 - Away | 10-7 W |
| 04/04/24 - Home | 11-1 W |
| 05/15/23 - Home | 4-3 W |
| 05/02/23 - Away | 6-2 W |
| + 5 more games |
Ephrata and Lampeter-Strasburg are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Mountaineers will venture away from home to challenge the Pioneers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Ephrata will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Thursday as neither Ephrata nor Northern Lebanon made it on the board until the fifth inning. The Mountaineers didn't even let the Vikings on the board, marking the Mountaineers' second-straight 2-0 shutout.
Collin Miller tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over six innings pitched.
At the plate, Ty Custer was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Lampeter-Strasburg came out on top against Manheim Central on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run fourth inning. The Pioneers never let the Barons get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. Considering the Pioneers have won eight contests by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Brady Scranton made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cooper Hillen, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Chase Messinger was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Lampeter-Strasburg was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .542. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Ephrata's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 15-6. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Lampeter-Strasburg, their record now sits at 16-5.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Ephrata has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. However, it's not like Lampeter-Strasburg struggles in that department as they've averaged .448. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Ephrata's way against Lampeter-Strasburg in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Ephrata made off with a 7-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Mountaineers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
