Bell County hasn't had much luck against Knox Central recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bobcats will square off against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. Bell County will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Four must be Bell County's lucky number: they beat Harlan County with that score not once but twice on Tuesday. The Bobcats didn't even let the Black Bears on the board, marking the Bobcats' second-straight 4-0 shutout.
Joseph Brigmon was a major factor no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Brigmon wasn't the only one making solid contact as three players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Cooper Brock, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and one run. That triple was Brock's first of the season.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Knox Central faced off against Barbourville on Wednesday. The Panthers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Tigers a 13-0 shutout. With that win, the Panthers brought their scoring average up to 6.3 runs per game.
Not much got past Grant Miller, who gave up just two hits and racked up ten Ks to keep Barbourville off the board.
On the hitting side, Knox Central got a massive performance out of Brady Engle, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of John Hobbs, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Knox Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Bell County pushed their record up to 9-7 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.0 runs on average over those games. As for Knox Central, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-11.
Bell County skirted past Knox Central 5-3 in their previous matchup back in March. Do the Bobcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
