Turner County hasn't had much luck against Atkinson County recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Titans will welcome the Rebels at 4:30 p.m. Turner County has given up an average of 12 runs per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Turner County fell victim to Atkinson County and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Rebels, falling 16-0. Having soared to a lofty 21 runs in the game before, the Titans' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
For Atkinson County's part, Jesse James made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. What's more, James posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Atkinson County let Gevin Smith and Jack Tillman run wild. Smith got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI, while Tillman scored two runs while going 1-for-2. Atkinson County is 7-2 when Tillman posts two or more runs, but 3-12 otherwise. Jovi Meeks was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Atkinson County was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .429. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
The victory (which was Atkinson County's fourth in a row) raised their record to 11-14. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Turner County, their loss dropped their record down to 4-19.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Turner County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Atkinson County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
