The Salem Greyhounds will venture away from home to square off against the Izard County Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Salem will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
Salem barely beat Bergman the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Salem put the hurt on Bergman with a sharp 17-2 victory on Thursday. Considering the Greyhounds have won four games by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Caleb Leisenring
| 03/20/25 @ Bergman | 4 |
| 03/18/25 @ Heber Springs | 3 |
| 03/17/25 vs Mountain View | 4 |
| 03/14/25 vs Highland | 1 |
| 03/10/25 @ Yellville-Summit | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Caleb Leisenring made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Leisenring was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing Four bases. while going 3-for-3. Leisenring is crushing it when it comes to stolen bases: he's snagged at least one every time he's taken the field this season.
In other batting news, Kaiden Hollis was a standout: he scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Caleb Smith was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing Two bases. while going 2-for-2.
Salem always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .694. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .545 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Izard County lost 10-4 to Cedar Ridge on Thursday. The Cougars have struggled against the Timberwolves recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost meetings.
Izard County saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Xander McCandlis, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Salem is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.4 runs over those games. Having lost for the first time this season, Izard County fell to 2-1.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Salem has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .488. However, it's not like Izard County struggles in that department as they've averaged .486. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Salem beat Izard County 8-5 in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Salem since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
