Baseball Preview: Summers County Bobcats vs. WestSide Renegades
Summers County is 3-0 against WestSide since March of 2023, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Summers County Bobcats will be staying on the road to face off against the WestSide Renegades at 5:30 p.m. Summers County's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so WestSide's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Wednesday, Summers County didn't have quite enough to beat Greenbrier West and fell 3-2. Summers County has struggled against Greenbrier West recently, as their game on Wednesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Ryan Oliveros put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. Oliveros has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. Oliveros was also big at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a stolen base, a double, and an RBI.
In other batting news, Brandan Isaac was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two stolen bases. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
Meanwhile, WestSide came into Wednesday's contest having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against River View by a score of 8-5 on Wednesday.
Like Summers County, WestSide also got a great game from a two-way player: Bryson Blankenship. He pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Blankenship was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs, a triple, and a stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Braxton Waldron, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Hayden Miller, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-2.
Summers County's defeat dropped their record down to 16-7. As for WestSide, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 11-8.
Thursday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Summers County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .332. However, it's not like WestSide struggles in that department as they've averaged .338. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Summers County skirted past WestSide 3-2 in their previous matchup back in March. The rematch might be a little tougher for Summers County since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
