Perry County hasn't had much luck against East Hickman County recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Vikings will host the Eagles at 5:00 p.m. Perry County has given up an average of 13 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Wayne County hit Perry County with a five-run second inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Vikings lost 15-5 to the Wildcats.
Casey Garner was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, East Hickman County had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against Santa Fe on Tuesday by a score of 10-3 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Eagles not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since March 27th (when they won 15-2).
Braden Presley was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. He is becoming a predictor of East Hickman County's success: when he posts at least eight strikeouts the team is 2-1 (and 5-21 when he doesn't). Presley was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one double.
In other batting news, Jayden Malugin was excellent, going 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Landon Erickson, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and two RBI.
Perry County's loss dropped their record down to 0-13. As for East Hickman County, their win bumped their record up to 7-22.
Perry County skirted past East Hickman County 12-11 when the teams last played back in May of 2021. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
