The Poca Dots will head out on the road to face off against the Ritchie County Rebels at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The last three games Poca has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Poca is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Greater Beckley Christian just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of the Crusaders by a score of 4-2.
Nate Christian
| 05/01/26 vs Greater Beckley Christian | 6 |
| 04/27/26 vs Elk Valley Christian | 5 |
| 04/23/26 @ Ravenswood | 6 |
Nate Christian spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on six hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Poca saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Jones, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI. Another was Nick Graley, who went 1-for-2 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ritchie County). They put the hurt on Notre Dame with a sharp 10-4 victory on Thursday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Rebels needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
The team relied heavily on Coltin Williams, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Ritchie County: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-21 otherwise. Jake Waugaman also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Ritchie County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2025.
With the win, Ritchie County broke their four-game losing streak and moved their record to 2-22. As for Poca, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-13.
Poca's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's matchup. The Dots have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Ritchie County, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Poca continue to outrun the ball?
Poca suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to Ritchie County in their previous meeting back in April of 2025. Can the Dots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
