Estill County and Breathitt County are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Engineers will look to defend their home field on Thursday against the Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. Estill County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
While Estill County's victory against Powell County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Engineers skirted past the Pirates 7-6. The win was nothing new for the Engineers as they're now sitting on three straight.
Logan Friend
| 04/09/25 vs Powell County | 8 |
| 03/27/25 @ Montgomery County | 6 |
| 05/03/24 vs Danville | 6 |
| 05/29/24 vs Knott County Central | 5 |
| 04/25/24 @ Powell County | 3 |
Logan Friend made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off ten hits (and not a single walk). Those eight strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2. Estill County is undefeated when Friend posts two or more runs, but 2-4 otherwise.
Friend wasn't the only one making solid contact as seven players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Kooper Powell, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Estill County hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least three batters in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Breathitt County). They blew past Buckhorn 20-6 on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Wildcats: they've now won eight in a row.
Like Estill County, Breathitt County also got a great game from a two-way player: Preston Turner. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. Turner was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-2. That stolen base was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Breathitt County got a massive performance out of Aiden Combs, who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Sebastian Howard, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Estill County's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-4. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.7 runs over those games. As for Breathitt County, their win bumped their record up to 7-4.
Both Estill County and Breathitt County just can't seem to miss. The Engineers have been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.6 hits per game. However, it's not like Breathitt County struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.8 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
