Baseball Game Preview: Raceland Rams vs. Pikeville Panthers

The Raceland Rams will head out on the road to square off against the Pikeville Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The last five games Raceland has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Last Tuesday, Raceland narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Russell 11-9. The victory continues a trend for the Rams in their matchups with the Red Devils: they've now won six in a row.

Landon Bloss made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted over his last 11 games.

Michael Pennington

Runs (Career)

04/15/25 @ Russell	4
03/26/25 vs Morgan County	3
04/07/25 vs Fairland	2
03/18/25 vs East Carter	2
04/14/25 vs Russell	1

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Michael Pennington, who scored four runs while going 2-for-3. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Kadin Shore, who scored a run while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.

Meanwhile, Pikeville waltzed into their match on Tuesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They walked away with a 7-2 win over the Wildcats.

The victory got Pikeville back to even at 8-8. As for Raceland, their record now sits at 12-4.

Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Raceland hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .315. However, it's not like Pikeville struggles in that department as they've averaged .322. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.

Raceland came up short against Pikeville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 7-4. Can the Rams avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.