The Barbourville Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Bell County Bobcats at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Barbourville has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with six straight defeats, while Bell County will come in with three straight victories.
Barbourville lost 10-3 to Danville on Saturday.
Barbourville got a good showing from Konner Bureman, who tossed 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. That's the first time Bureman hasn't allowed a single earned run since back in March.
At the plate, Luke Hillard was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Bell County won against Barbourville on Wednesday with 11 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Friday. Everything went the Bobcats' way against Leslie County as they made off with an 11-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Bobcats, who have now won ten games by six runs or more so far this season.
Joseph Brigmon was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Alex Creech looked comfortable as he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two hits in nine consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Blake Burnett was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Hagan Neal also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Bell County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Barbourville's loss dropped their record down to 14-10. As for Bell County, their record is now 15-8.
Barbourville might still be hurting after the 11-1 defeat they got from Bell County when the teams last played on Wednesday. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
