Baseball Game Preview: Switzerland County Pacers vs. Salem Lions

The Switzerland County Pacers will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Salem Lions at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Switzerland County is coming home in high spirits after they had to open their season on the road against Carroll County. The Pacers walked away with a 10-6 win over the Panthers on Wednesday.

Caleb Ridener was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up just one earned run but no hits. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.

Jackson Sparks

Runs (Career)

04/02/25 @ Carroll County	3
05/14/24 @ Trimble County	2
05/10/24 vs Clarksville	2
04/29/24 @ Shawe Memorial	2
04/17/24 @ New Washington	2

In other batting news, Jackson Sparks was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Madden Peelman, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.

Switzerland County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Carroll County only posted an OBP of .364.

Meanwhile, Salem gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Monday. They skirted past Mitchell 7-5.

The team relied heavily on Kaiden Romero-Hembree, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI and one run. Braxton Dean was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.