vs
| 03/18/25 - Home | 10-5 W |
| 04/15/24 - Away | 5-6 L |
| 03/19/24 - Home | 6-0 W |
| 05/02/23 - Neutral | 11-0 W |
| 04/05/23 - Away | 11-1 W |
| + 3 more games |
Alexander Central has gone 7-1 against Ashe County recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Huskies at 6:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Alexander Central lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Wilkes Central, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Wednesday's match. The Cougars blew past the Eagles 10-4 on Wednesday. The victory was nothing new for the Cougars as they're now sitting on three straight.
Alexander Central got a great performance from Newt Rexrode as he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Those hits marked the first that Rexrode allowed this season.
At the plate, Sawyer Chapman-Mays was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Maddix Reese, who scored a run while going 3-for-4.
Alexander Central kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are 5-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Ashe County hadn't done well against West Wilkes recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Huskies never let the Blackhawks get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. Considering the Huskies' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Alexander Central's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-6. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.6 runs over those games. As for Ashe County, they moved to 9-7 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Alexander Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ashe County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Alexander Central was able to grind out a solid win over Ashe County in their previous meeting back in March, winning 10-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
