The Fleming County Panthers will challenge the Lewis County Lions at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Fleming County put up the most runs they have all season on Wednesday. They came out on top against Mason County by a score of 11-6. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Royals recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Preston Cropper
| 03/25/26 vs Mason County | 4 |
| 03/23/26 vs Greenup County | 2 |
| 05/28/25 vs Boyd County | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Bath County | 2 |
| 04/12/25 vs Russell | 2 |
Preston Cropper was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Austin Robertson, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Fleming County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mason County only managed four.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lewis County, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They put the hurt on Bourbon County with a sharp 12-2 win on Tuesday. Considering the Lions' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Lewis County let Braxton Egbert and Bryson Helpenstine run wild. Egbert got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI, while Helpenstine got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs and two RBI. Those RBI marked the first that Egbert has brought in this season. Another player making a difference was Cameron Farris, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Fleming County's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Lewis County, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-4.
Lewis County's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Fleming County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Lewis County, though, as they've been averaging only 2.6 strikeouts. Will Fleming County keep running through batters, or will the Lions buck the trend?
Everything went Fleming County's way against Lewis County in their previous matchup back in March of 2025, as Fleming County made off with a 14-1 victory. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
