Anderson County is 0-3 against Cocke County since March of 2023 but things could change on Monday. The Mavericks will head out to face off against the Fighting Cocks at 6:00 p.m.
Anderson County is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 12 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Gibbs on Friday. They lost 11-0 to the Eagles. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Meanwhile, Cocke County came tearing into Wednesday's matchup with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They beat the Eagles by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-1. Considering the Fighting Cocks have won 24 contests by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Hailee Hartsell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and not a single walk). She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 21 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Adisen Mcnealy, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April. Chloe Niethammer was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Cocke County hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least one batters in four consecutive games.
Cocke County's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 28-4-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.4 runs on average over those games. As for Anderson County, their loss dropped their record down to 24-14.
Monday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Anderson County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Cocke County struggles in that department as they've averaged .445. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Anderson County suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Cocke County in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Can the Mavericks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
