The Woodford County Yellowjackets will face off against the Mercer County Titans at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday. Woodford County's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Mercer County's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Woodford County and Shelby County, and Shelby County kept the tradition alive. The Yellowjackets fell 4-1 to the Rockets on Wednesday.
Woodford County saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Raejion Lewis, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Mercer County ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out Lexington Christian 8-7. While the Titans didn't have the best season last year (they finished 16-20), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Jackson Doughty made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two RBI.
In other batting news, Ayden Stephens was excellent, going 2-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. He is becoming a predictor of Mercer County's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 9-10 when he doesn't). Noah Worthington was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Mercer County's victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-10. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Woodford County, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 17-9.
Woodford County skirted past Mercer County 9-8 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Will the Yellowjackets repeat their success, or do the Titans have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
