Top Games: April 14-19

Take a moment to catch your breath from that wild week. From the start of the week to very end, there were more down-to-the-wire finishes and games decided in the final inning than most people will see in an entire season (for more on that and how Northern survived all three of its games, see page C1 of Monday's sports).

It's impossible to expect this week to be as crazy but there's still some good games on tap.

Red Land at Central Dauphin, Monday, 4 - These two were supposed to battle for the Commonwealth title but Chambersburg had other ideas. The Trojans won at Red Land last week, 10-7. So now the Patriots try to keep from falling into the pack. In this division, it's easy to go from top of the heap to bottom (or vice versa) in one week. Ask Carlisle, a team that evened its division record with two upsets last week.

Cedar Cliff at Chambersburg, Monday, 4:30 - Pitching is the key here. Cedar Cliff has been hit or miss when it comes to the guy toeing the rubber. If the Colts don't get a solid performance from their starter (likely D.J. Rowe) the Trojans, who are 3-0 in the Commonwealth, could run away with this one.

Camp Hill at Boiling Springs, Wednesday, 4 - The Bubblers enter the new week fresh off a pair of scoreless losses on the road at James Buchanan and West Perry. Camp Hill turned in a 2-2 week but lost a heart breaker to Northern on Friday. They say a team is judged by how it handles adversity. The loser here faces more of the same as it falls to the middle of the Capital Division.

Northern at Red Land, Wednesday, 4 - Here's an interesting battle of two York County schools that call the Mid-Penn home. The Polar Bears are riding high after a 3-0 week that saw them win by a combined 9-5 score. The Patriots rebounded from a loss to Chambersburg and pounded Dallastown on Saturday. It's doubtful the Pats will throw one of their aces, meaning Northern could have a chance to knock off the defending Commonwealth champ.

Cumberland Valley at Central Dauphin, Friday, 4 - Another crucial Commonwealth battle. Early-week results will determine the mindset each team brings to this game. The key is whether the CV bats will wake up in time to keep the team in the hunt for a division title.

Waynesboro at Shippensburg, Friday, 4:15 - Talk about saving the best for last. Waynesboro, the Colonial favorite, can pile up runs but has a vulnerable staff. Shippensburg is the exact opposite. As easily as the Greyhound pitchers can toss a shutout, the offense can go cold and be shut out. Just look at that 1-0, 10-inning loss to Northern. If University of New Orleans signee Ricky Ott, a crafty left-hander, takes the hill, the AAAA Indians could be in trouble. The Greyhounds do not want a track meet.