Eagles soar into first place

The preseason buzz centered around defending champion Chambersburg and the pitching staff of Cedar Cliff.

It's still early in the baseball season but so far there's another player in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. Cumberland Valley, on the strength of a heart-thumping 4-3 win over Chambersburg on Monday, is perfect through three division games this year and alone in first place. Cedar Cliff beat Central Dauphin, 6-2, to bump the Rams from the ranks of the unbeatens in the division.

The Eagles (4-2 overall, 3-0 division) haven't been dominant in beating Cedar Cliff, Central Dauphin East and Chambersburg by an aggregate of 11-4 but they've been efficient and have gotten solid pitching from David Drinks, Ethan Zook and Eric Sawyer.

Still, CV has nine division games remaining and was dealt a blow in the fifth inning Monday when Zook was taken out of the game due to an injury. CV coach Mike Whitehead Jr. wouldn't elaborate on the injury but did allow he'd know more about Zook's condition Tuesday.

CV has division games this week at Central Dauphin on Wednesday and at home against Red Land on Friday.

Around the Mid-Penn:

Keystone - The log jam continues. Hershey, Lower Dauphin, Middletown and Mechanicsburg all have 3-1 records while Palmyra is still in the mix at 2-2.

Colonial - Northern, the preseason pick here to win this division, is closing in on Waynesboro. The Indians, who were idle Monday, are 3-0 while the Polar Bears are 3-1. Northern is at Waynesboro on Friday at 4. Susquenita sits third at 2-1.

Capital - Camp Hill and Trinity, set to meet Wednesday at College Park, are unbeaten at 4-0 and 3-0, respectively. Don't forget about a Greencastle-Antrim team (3-1) that is the defending champion and the pick to win the division. The Blue Devils are far from out of this race and will make some noise before everything is said and done.