The McLean County Cougars will take on the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. McLean County is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
On Thursday, McLean County was able to grind out a solid win over Webster County, taking the game 6-2.
Jaelin Groves spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Houston Whitaker and Layden Bozarth did most of the damage at the plate: Whitaker went 2-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Bozarth went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI Bozarth has posted since back in March of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Connor Mitchuson, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Meanwhile, Madisonville-North Hopkins fell victim to Owensboro and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They lost 6-0 to the Red Devils. The Maroons have struggled against the Red Devils recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.
Madisonville-North Hopkins saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Ryder Sandidge, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
McLean County pushed their record up to 10-4 with the victory, which was their seventh straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Madisonville-North Hopkins, their loss dropped their record down to 10-9.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. McLean County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. However, it's not like Madisonville-North Hopkins struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went McLean County's way against Madisonville-North Hopkins when the teams last played back in March, as McLean County made off with a 13-3 victory. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Maroons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
