The Cherokee Bluff Bears will head out on the road to challenge Denmark at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Cherokee Bluff will be strutting in after a victory while Denmark will be coming in after a defeat.
On Friday, Cherokee Bluff needed a bit of extra time to put away Wesleyan. They blew past the Wolves 13-6. With that win, the Bears brought their scoring average up to 7.2 runs per game.
Gabe Gowder looked comfortable as he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed two walks, which is notable because Cherokee Bluff is 2-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 1-2 otherwise.
Bubba Coleman
| 02/21/25 @ Wesleyan | 3 |
| 02/21/24 vs Druid Hills | 1 |
| 02/19/24 vs North Atlanta | 1 |
| 02/13/24 vs Forest Park | 1 |
At the plate, Cherokee Bluff let Bubba Coleman and Ethan England run wild. Coleman went 2-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base, while England scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5. Those three RBI gave Coleman a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kaden Thompson, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Denmark came up short against St. Pius X Catholic on Friday and fell 9-6.
Denmark also got a good showing from Kurtis Maher, who pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits.
On the hitting side, Jax Nystrom made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 1-for-2. Trey Bailey was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Cherokee Bluff is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-3 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.8 runs over those games. Denmark's loss dropped their record down to 3-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cherokee Bluff has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Denmark struggles in that department as they've been averaging 9.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cherokee Bluff skirted past Denmark 3-1 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cherokee Bluff since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
