The Alcorn Central Bears will face off against the Middleton Tigers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Middleton took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Alcorn Central, who comes in off a win.
Alcorn Central took a 12-run loss the last time they faced off against Biggersville, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Alcorn Central won by a run and slipped past Biggersville 5-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Bears have posted since April 26, 2024.
Alcorn Central's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Jackson Miller, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Alcorn Central hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Middleton came up short against Falkner on Monday and fell 12-8. The Tigers have struggled against the Eagles recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost meetings.
William Cornelius put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over four innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off only two hits. Cornelius was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Kamren Bumpus made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one double, and one RBI.
Alcorn Central pushed their record up to 6-7 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for Middleton, they now have a losing record of 1-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Alcorn Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Middleton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Alcorn Central took their victory against Middleton in their previous meeting back in March of 2015 by a conclusive 22-1. Does Alcorn Central have another victory up their sleeve, or will Middleton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
