The Grant County Braves will venture away from home to take on the Western Hills Wolverines at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
On Friday, Grant County got the win against Lloyd Memorial by a conclusive 9-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Braves.
Luke Williams was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. Colton Alexander was another key player, going 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Western Hills not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 10th (when they won 18-0). Everything went their way against Anderson County as they made off with a 12-6 victory. The high-scoring effort was just what the Wolverines needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Walker Drury made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Cole Semones and Owen Woodson did most of the damage at the plate: Semones went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run, while Woodson got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Woodson has become a key player for Western Hills: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 8-9 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Gavin Murphy, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base.
Western Hills was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Anderson County only posted a batting average of .296.
Grant County's record now sits at 14-12. As for Western Hills, their record is now 16-9.
Saturday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Grant County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. However, it's not like Western Hills struggles in that department as they've averaged .332. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Grant County's way against Western Hills in their previous matchup back in April, as Grant County made off with a 12-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Braves since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
