Cougars
| 04/01/25 @ Hedgesville | 4 |
| 03/29/25 vs Moorefield | 11 |
| 03/29/25 vs Moorefield | 9 |
| 03/28/25 vs Washington | 9 |
| 03/27/25 vs Saint James | 11 |
| + 4 more games |
Jefferson is a perfect 10-0 against Spring Mills since April of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. A feisty cat fight will be fought as Jefferson Cougars duke it out with Spring Mills Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. Jefferson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
Jefferson is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Hedgesville, who was ranked tenth at the time (Jefferson was ranked seventh). The Cougars fell just short of the Eagles by a score of 5-4 on Tuesday. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Eagles recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Jefferson saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Cole Smith, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one double. Sam Hefner also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Meanwhile, Spring Mills waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They were the clear victors by a 9-2 margin over the Falcons. While the Cardinals didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-19), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Rylan Swartz made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits (and not a single walk). Swartz was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, JP Sweeney was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and two doubles. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 3.3 RBI per game. Another player making a difference was Bryce Anders, who scored four runs while going 4-for-4.
Spring Mills kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive contests.
Spring Mills' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Jefferson, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 8-1.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Jefferson has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .459. However, it's not like Spring Mills struggles in that department as they've averaged .435. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Jefferson beat Spring Mills 6-2 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Cardinals have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
