The Valley Rams will take on the Cleburne County Tigers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Valley comes in on nine and Cleburne County on six.
Last Wednesday, Valley made easy work of Randolph County and carried off a 13-2 victory. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won three matchups by 11 runs or more so far this season.
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, Valley got a massive performance out of Ty Monteith, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4. Monteith also put up a triple, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Carter Green, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cleburne County). They blew past Randolph County 17-1 on Thursday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
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 nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Hunter Gore was a standout: he 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. Gavin Robinson was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
Valley's victory was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-0. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs over those games. As for Cleburne County, their record is now 6-1.
Saturday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Valley has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .451. However, it's not like Cleburne County struggles in that department as they've averaged .444. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
