Baseball Game Preview: Cloudland Highlanders vs. Avery County Vikings

Cloudland hasn't had much luck against Avery County recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cloudland Highlanders will challenge the Avery County Vikings at 4:00 p.m. Cloudland has given up an average of 16.4 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.

Cloudland is headed into Thursday's matchup looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their 18th straight game dating back to last season on Tuesday. They came up short against University School, falling 24-0. The game marked the first time this year in which the Highlanders were not able to get on the board.

Meanwhile, Avery County was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 11-0 to Draughn, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.

Cloudland's defeat dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Avery County, their loss dropped their record down to an identical 0-5.

Cloudland's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. Cloudland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Avery County, though, as they've been averaging only 0.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Cloudland continue to outrun the ball?

Cloudland suffered a grim 19-9 defeat to Avery County when the teams last played back in March of 2019. Can Cloudland avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.