Cleburne County is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Valley is on a nine-game streak of away wins (dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Cleburne County Tigers will host the Valley Rams at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Tigers on Thursday. Cleburne County blew past Randolph County 17-1. Cleburne County has beaten Randolph County the last five times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest Randolph County has come to flipping the script.
Jacob Pentecost looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
Hunter Gore
| 02/27/25 @ Randolph County | 3 |
| 02/24/25 vs Woodland | 1 |
| 02/21/25 @ Horseshoe Bend | 1 |
| 02/18/25 vs Randolph County | 2 |
| 02/14/25 vs Central of Clay County | 2 |
On the hitting side, Cleburne County got a massive performance out of Hunter Gore, who scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances. Gore is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's stole at least one every time he's taken the field this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Robinson, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, everything went Valley's way against Randolph County on Wednesday as Valley made off with a 13-2 victory.
Rush Nelson tossed a big game, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and not a single walk).
At the plate, Ty Monteith was a standout: he scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4. He also put up a triple, which was his first of the season. Carter Green was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-2.
Cleburne County's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 9-0.
Saturday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cleburne County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .444. However, it's not like Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
