The Marion County Warriors will challenge the Sale Creek Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Marion County has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Sale Creek will arrive with nine straight victories.
On Friday, Marion County came up short against Hixson and fell 8-5.
Eli Blevins
| 02/28/25 vs Grundy County | 4 |
| 03/27/25 vs Lookout Valley | 3 |
| 04/18/25 vs Hixson | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Brainerd | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Brainerd | 2 |
| + 5 more games |
Marion County saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Eli Blevins, who went 2-for-4 with two runs. Blevins has become a key player for the Warriors: the team is 4-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 11-12 otherwise.
Meanwhile, Sale Creek got themselves on the board against East Ridge on Thursday, but East Ridge never followed suit. They blew past the Pioneers 10-0. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten contests by six runs or more this season.
Gabriel Abbott looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Gabriel Hodges, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Maverick McCary, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Sale Creek pushed their record up to 16-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.5 runs over those games. As for Marion County, their loss dropped their record down to 15-13.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Marion County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Sale Creek struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Marion County couldn't quite finish off Sale Creek in their previous meeting back in May of 2022 and fell 4-2. Can the Warriors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
