Ashe County hasn't had much luck against Alexander Central recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Huskies will look to defend their home field against the Cougars at 6:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
Ashe County was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against West Wilkes on Thursday. The Huskies' pitcher stepped up to hand the Blackhawks a 10-0 shutout. The Huskies might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by ten runs or more this season.
Meanwhile, Alexander Central had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 10-4 win. That's two games straight that the Cougars have won by exactly six runs.
Alexander Central got a great performance from Newt Rexrode as he pitched 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.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Sawyer Chapman-Mays, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Maddix Reese was another key player, scoring 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.
Alexander Central pushed their record up to 9-6 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Ashe County, with the victory, they broke their three-game losing streak and moved their record to 9-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Ashe County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Alexander Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Ashe County came up short against Alexander Central when the teams last played back in March, falling 10-5. Will the Huskies have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
