The Warrior Run Defenders will face off against the Southern Columbia Area Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Warrior Run will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Warrior Run's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Monday. They were the clear victors by a 13-0 margin over Bloomsburg. The Defenders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by six runs or more this season.
James Keifer
| 04/14/25 @ Bloomsburg | 11 |
| 04/01/24 vs Benton | 6 |
| 03/19/25 @ Millville | 4 |
| 05/04/24 vs Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy | 4 |
| 03/20/24 vs Millville | 4 |
James Keifer and Tyler Ulrich were a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Keifer didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. Meanwhile, Ulrich pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave Keifer a new career-high. At the plate, Keifer scored three runs while going 1-for-5, while Ulrich scored two runs while going 4-for-4. Ulrich also put up two RBI, which were his first of the season.
In other batting news, Isaiah Betz was incredible, scoring two runs while going 2-for-4. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cohen Zechman, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances.
Warrior Run was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Bloomsburg only posted a batting average of .095.
Meanwhile, Southern Columbia Area won against Mifflinburg on Friday with five runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Tigers beat Hughesville by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 5-2. The game was the first time the Tigers have beaten the Spartans on their field since April 27, 2022.
Guy Longenberger tossed a big game, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Brayden Andrews, who scored four runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Kole Myers, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Warrior Run pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 12.1 runs this season. As for Southern Columbia Area, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Warrior Run has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Southern Columbia Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Warrior Run's way against Southern Columbia Area when the teams last played two weeks ago, as Warrior Run made off with a 12-6 win. Will the Defenders repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
