The Conotton Valley Rockets are taking a road trip to take on the Strasburg-Franklin Tigers at 5:45 p.m. on Monday. Conotton Valley is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Conotton Valley will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Thursday, then bounced right back against Beallsville on Friday. The Rockets' pitcher stepped up to hand the Blue Devils a 19-0 shutout. The Rockets haven't had any issues with the Blue Devils recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Dylan Higgenbotham
| 05/09/25 vs Beallsville | 5 |
| 04/21/25 vs Cameron | 1 |
| 04/18/25 vs Shadyside | 2 |
| 04/16/25 @ Buckeye Trail | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs Southern | 5 |
Dylan Higgenbotham was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. What's more, he posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. He has become a key player for Conotton Valley: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 7-8 otherwise.
In other batting news, Kam Wright was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. Logan Henry also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Conotton Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Beallsville only posted an OBP of .062.
Garaway hit Strasburg-Franklin with a four-run sixth inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Tigers took a 7-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Pirates. The loss continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Pirates: they've now lost four in a row.
Strasburg-Franklin saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Avery Keffer, who went 1-for-3 with one RBI. Brody Baughmam was another, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs.
Conotton Valley's record now sits at 12-8. As for Strasburg-Franklin, they now have a losing record of 10-11.
Strasburg-Franklin's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Conotton Valley hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. It's a different story for Strasburg-Franklin, though, as they've only averaged .256. Will they be able to contain Conotton Valley's hitters?
Conotton Valley might still be hurting after the 12-6 defeat they got from Strasburg-Franklin when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Rockets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
