Martin County had lost 14 straight, but after bumping their record up to 4-23 on Friday that streak is in the rearview. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the East Ridge Warriors, sneaking past 11-10. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Cardinals' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Gavin Grace
| 05/01/26 vs East Ridge | 3 |
| 04/27/26 @ East Carter | 1 |
| 04/24/26 @ Floyd Central | 1 |
| 04/23/26 vs Pike County Central | 1 |
| 04/11/26 vs Prestonsburg | 1 |
The team relied heavily on Gavin Grace, who went 3-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Dylan Hale, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Martin County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They are 2-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
As for East Ridge, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 10-14. Even if they couldn't come away with the victory, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
On East Ridge's side, Cole Ratliff put in work no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and five unearned) runs off eight hits. Ratliff was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-6 with two runs. East Ridge is 6-2 when Ratliff posts two or more runs, but 4-12 otherwise.
In other batting news, Jacolbi Gibson made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of East Ridge's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 8-13 when he doesn't). Jayce Cantrell was another key player, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Looking ahead, Martin County will face off against Floyd Central at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. As for East Ridge, they will head out to face off against Belfry at 6:00 p.m. on Monday.
