Baseball Game Preview: Johnson Central Golden Eagles vs. Belfry Pirates

The Johnson Central Golden Eagles will square off against the Belfry Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Johnson Central's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three games.

On Thursday, Johnson Central got the win against Martin County by a conclusive 13-1. Considering the Golden Eagles have won eight contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.

Meanwhile, Belfry beat Man 7-3 on Thursday. The Pirates have beaten the Hillbillies the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Hillbillies has come to flipping the script.

Eli Jones spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on two hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Belfry let Eli Caudill and Dante Davis run wild. Caudill went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI, while Davis went 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI Davis has posted since back in April. Steven Vipperman was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.

Johnson Central is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.1 runs over those games. As for Belfry, their win bumped their record up to 15-7.

Johnson Central beat Belfry 11-7 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Do the Golden Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.