Baseball Recap: Middlesboro Takes a Loss

Middlesboro extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 17 on Monday, dropping their season record down to 0-13 in the process. They came up short against the Bell County Bobcats, falling 16-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Yellowjackets of the 10-6 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in May of 2024.

As for Bell County, the victory (which was their sixth in a row) raised their record to 10-7. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.3 runs on average over those games.

For Bell County's part, Blake Burnett made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Burnett has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Bell County's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 6-7 when he doesn't).

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Brayden Carroll, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and two RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Cooper Brock was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

While Middlesboro had to take the loss, they won't have to wait long to give it another shot: the pair's next game is a rematch scheduled at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.