Raiders' friendly rivalry

Mechanicville

Throughout the last two months, senior Jake Popiel and junior Jake LaFountain have turned their personal battle of "top this" into an art form, and the Mechanicville baseball team has reveled in the benefits it has provided.

Whether it is pitching or hitting for the Red Raiders, Popiel and LaFountain have excelled all spring in leading the team to a successful season that has led to the Section II Class B playoffs.

"If I see him get a hit, I have to do better," Popiel said. "We have this great friendship. It has just been fun."

"When he throws a complete-game shutout, I just want to come out the next game and do the exact same thing," LaFountain said.

"It is a blast watching those two," Mechanicville coach Scott Kraszweski said. "They are great friends, but they also push each other."

The next task for the third-seeded Red Raiders (15-3) comes Tuesday when they face seventh-seeded Ravena (11-7) at Shuttleworth Park in the Section II Class B playoffs. Game time is 4 p.m.

LaFountain upped his record to 7-0 Friday as Mechanicville defeated Voorheesville 3-0. He has worked 381/3 innings and allowed only four earned runs for a 0.73 ERA. The junior right-hander, who is hitting .449 with 16 RBIs as the team's No. 3 batter, has struck out 71 and has two saves.

"He is throwing strikes and getting the curveball over," Kraszewski said. "It is a tight curveball, and it is a hard pitch to hit. He throws it hard and you get a lot of guys (flinching) because his fastball is in the high 80s."

"I have improved so much since I started (on varsity)," LaFountain said.

In addition to his skills on the diamond, LaFountain also excels in soccer, football (as the team's place-kicker) and bowling. College coaches are taking notice of the junior's prowess on the mound.

"His...