The Cumberland Valley Eagles will venture away from home to face off against the Ephrata Mountaineers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cumberland Valley's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Ephrata's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
The scorekeeper got an easy start on Wednesday as neither Cumberland Valley nor Mechanicsburg made it on the board until the seventh inning. The Eagles fell just short of the Wildcats by a score of 3-2.
Braydon Shuttlesworth was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits.
At the plate, Micah LaPila was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Ephrata came out on top against Manheim Township on Wednesday thanks in part to the team's impressive eight-run fourth inning. The Mountaineers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Blue Streaks a 12-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Mountaineers, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Camryn Simes made a splash no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Ethan Hunt was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Chase Prange was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI.
Ephrata always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .536. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Manheim Township only posted an OBP of .200.
The victory made it two in a row for Ephrata and bumps their season record up to 10-4. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 0 runs in those games. As for Cumberland Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 8-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cumberland Valley has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ephrata struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cumberland Valley skirted past Ephrata 9-8 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
