The Unicoi County Blue Devils will head out on the road to square off against the Grainger Grizzlies at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Unicoi County's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Grainger's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Grainger will be up against a hot Unicoi County team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Blue Devils came out on top against Daniel Boone by a score of 5-2 on Thursday.
Kaden Cutlip spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on three hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Dustin Bogart, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Kolby Jones was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Bogart wasn't the only one making solid contact: Unicoi County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Grainger made easy work of Volunteer on Friday and carried off a 16-6 win.
Kade Lucas and Luke Wallace did most of the damage at the plate: Lucas scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Wallace went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base. Lucas is becoming a predictor of Grainger's success: when he posts at least three hits the team is 2-1 (and 4-10 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Nolan Wallace, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Grainger has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Unicoi County, their record is now 10-4.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Unicoi County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .320. However, it's not like Grainger struggles in that department as they've averaged .349. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
