Cumberland had lost seven straight at home dating back to last season, but on Wednesday they dropped their record down to 1-8 to make it eight. They lost 19-9 to the Surry County Cougars. If the Dukes were looking for revenge after losing 2-1 to the Cougars when the teams met back in May of 2024, then they'll just have to keep looking.
Justin Flowers made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Ayden Brodie was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
As for Surry County, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 6-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games.
On Surry County's side, Tanner Keckler made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 12 batters over 4.1 innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). With that strong performance, Keckler is now averaging an impressive 5.3 strikeouts per game. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles.
In other batting news, Surry County got a big performance out of Logan Livesay, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Livesay has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Dawson Keckler, who went 1-for-5 with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Coming up, Cumberland will head out to take on Buckingham at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Knights will roll in looking for their eighth straight win, something the Dukes surely won't give up without a fight. As for Surry County, they will look to defend their home field on Thursday against Brunswick at 4:30 p.m.
