Thunder vs. Pioneers Game time

Who: Thunder (1-4) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (4-1)

When: Monday, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Cortland Banks Field at the Chevrolet Centre.

Radio: WBBW-AM 1240.

Series history: Pioneers lead 3-0, including a 33-20 victory April 11 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Coaches: Mike Hold is 8-13 in his second season with the Thunder; Rich Ingold is 27-10 in his third year with the Pioneers.

Scouting report: Mahoning Valley has lost four straight games and is looking to fight its way back up the East Division standings. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is atop the East Division and hoping to fend off second-place Albany. … In the teams’ first meeting this season, the Thunder got off to a slow start and never recovered, scoring a season-low 20 points. QB Josh Swogger amassed 122 yards through the air on 13-of-31 attempts and threw for two scores, but was intercepted twice. The offensive line struggled, giving up four sacks. WR Brian Majors, making his first offensive start, caught four passes for 47 yards and his first touchdown of the season. … WR Henry Tolbert is becoming an elite return man in the af2. He ranks second in af2 in kickoff return average (24.9 yards). … FB Tim Murphy got a surprise start at wide receiver in last week’s loss at Albany, but did not disappoint. Murphy is the first Thunder player in franchise history to lead the team in rushing and receiving yards in a single game. He ran the ball three times for 52 yards and made eight grabs for 108 yards. He scored three TDs. Murphy set a Thunder record with a 43-yard touchdown run, the longest in team history and the longest in af2 this season. The Thunder’s 78 rushing yards last week were the second-most by an af2 team this season. The Thunder is the No. 3 rushing team in af2 with an average of 46.6 yards per game. … Since his season debut April 18, PK Derek Schorejs has converted all 12 of his extra-point attempts. His only missed kick of the season was a 49-yard field goal try against Lexington. Schorejs went 64-of-83 on extra-point attempts last season. … Pioneers QB Matt Schabert — in his first af2 start — completed 18-of-33 passes for 212 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions against the Thunder April 11. … WR Coco Blalock provided a spark for the Pioneers, hauling in five receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

Scouting report: Mahoning Valley has lost four straight games and is looking to fight its way back up the East Division standings. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is atop the East Division and hoping to fend off second-place Albany. … In the teams’ first meeting this season, the Thunder got off to a slow start and never recovered, scoring a season-low 20 points. QB Josh Swogger amassed 122 yards through the air on 13-of-31 attempts and threw for two scores, but was intercepted twice. The offensive line struggled, giving up four sacks. WR Brian Majors, making his first offensive start, caught four passes for 47 yards and his first touchdown of the season. … WR Henry Tolbert is becoming an elite return man in the af2. He ranks second in af2 in kickoff return average (24.9 yards). … FB Tim Murphy got a surprise start at wide receiver in last week’s loss at Albany, but did not disappoint. Murphy is the first Thunder player in franchise history to lead the team in rushing and receiving yards in a single game. He ran the ball three times for 52 yards and made eight grabs for 108 yards. He scored three TDs. Murphy set a Thunder record with a 43-yard touchdown run, the longest in team history and the longest in af2 this season. The Thunder’s 78 rushing yards last week were the second-most by an af2 team this season. The Thunder is the No. 3 rushing team in af2 with an average of 46.6 yards per game. … Since his season debut April 18, PK Derek Schorejs has converted all 12 of his extra-point attempts. His only missed kick of the season was a 49-yard field goal try against Lexington. Schorejs went 64-of-83 on extra-point attempts last season. … Pioneers QB Matt Schabert — in his first af2 start — completed 18-of-33 passes for 212 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions against the Thunder April 11. … WR Coco Blalock provided a spark for the Pioneers, hauling in five receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

Hold on the Pioneers: “They’re not going to do anything that surprises us. We expect an extremely physical game. They try and come in and intimidate you. They’ve been a top team in the league the past couple of years. If we want to be the best, we have to beat the best and that starts with the Pioneers.” — Mike Hold

Next: The Thunder goes on the road to Lexington, Ky., Saturday.