TROJANS SPLIT SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER: Upper Dauphin Topples West Perry Before Falling to Annville-Cleona

ELIZABETHVILLE – The Upper Dauphin Area Varsity Trojans experienced the highs and lows of a packed Saturday schedule, grinding out a defensive gem against West Perry in the morning before dropping a high-scoring affair to Annville-Cleona in the afternoon.

Game 1: Pitching and Defense Carry Trojans Over Mustangs

In the opening contest of the day, Upper Dauphin relied on a stellar performance from the mound to secure a 4-3 victory over West Perry.

Hunter Grassmyer set the tone early for the Trojans. The right-hander earned the win, tossing five strong innings and racking up seven strikeouts. Grassmyer’s ability to work out of jams proved crucial, as he limited the Mustangs to just two earned runs despite West Perry out-hitting the Trojans 6-5.

Offensively, Tyler Minier provided the spark UDA needed, blasting a triple and driving in a run. Landen Osenga and Isaac Jackson each connected for doubles to help manufacture the four-run total. When West Perry threatened late, Connor Wenrich and Wyatt Troutman came on in relief to shut the door, securing the one-run win.

Game 2: Engle Homers, but Dutchmen Offense Overpowers UDA

The momentum from the morning win was tested in the afternoon cap against Annville-Cleona. Despite a power display from Karson Engle, the Trojans couldn't contain the Dutchmen’s bats in a 12-6 loss.

Engle provided the highlight of the day for the Trojan faithful, clearing the fences for a home run and finishing the game with two RBIs and a walk. Hunter Grassmyer and Wyatt Troutman continued their productive day at the plate with a double each, but the Trojans struggled to keep pace with an Annville-Cleona lineup that capitalized on eight walks and 11 hits.

The Dutchmen broke the game open mid-way through, tagging the UDA staff for 12 runs. While the Trojans showed life on the basepaths—swiping four bags from Ayden Winstead, Evan Mauser, Isaac Jackson, and Landen Osenga—the deficit proved too large to overcome.

Weekend Outlook

The 1-1 split on Saturday moves the Trojans' overall record to 7-5. While the pitching staff dominated the first game, the afternoon's defensive struggles and walks will be a point of emphasis for the coaching staff heading into next week.

Upper Dauphin will look to bounce back and find more consistency on the mound as they prepare for a divisional rivalry game against Halifax this Wednesday.

Saturday Totals:

• Game 1: UDA 4, West Perry 3 (WP: H. Grassmyer)

• Game 2: Annville-Cleona 12, UDA 6 (HR: K. Engle)