The Hedgesville Eagles will head out on the road to square off against the Jefferson Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Hedgesville is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
Hedgesville will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs on Tuesday, then bounced right back against Green Run on Thursday. The Eagles walked away with a 15-10 win over the Stallions. Considering the Eagles' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Jay Viands
| 04/17/25 @ Green Run | 3 |
| 04/02/25 vs Washington | 0 |
| 03/25/25 @ Hampshire | 6 |
Jay Viands looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Landon Pence was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. He is becoming a predictor of Hedgesville's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 3-5 when he doesn't). Chris Williams also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Hedgesville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Green Run only managed five hits.
Meanwhile, Jefferson faced Wheeling Park in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Cougars came out on top in a nail-biter against the Patriots, sneaking past 3-1. The victory was nothing new for the Cougars as they're now sitting on four straight.
Andrew Engle spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits.
At the plate, Jefferson saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nayan Dominguez, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Jefferson pushed their record up to 18-2 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. As for Hedgesville, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hedgesville has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Jefferson struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hedgesville skirted past Jefferson 5-4 in their previous matchup on April 1st. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
