The Poca Dots will venture away from home to challenge the Braxton County Eagles at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Poca has three straight wins, Braxton County has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
While Poca didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They put the hurt on Roane County with a sharp 11-1 victory on Tuesday. The Dots might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by ten runs or more this season.
Cooper Jones made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jackson McClanahan, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Logan Inglish was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Braxton County came up short against Ravenswood on Tuesday, falling 15-1.
Braxton County saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Seth Conley, who went 1-for-2 with one run. That run was Conley's first of the season.
Braxton County's loss dropped their record down to 0-4. As for Poca, their record now sits at 5-1.
Poca's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's contest. The Dots have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Braxton County, though, as they've been averaging only 0.5 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Poca continue to outrun the ball?
Poca suffered a grim 16-6 defeat to Braxton County when the teams last played back in April of 2025. Can the Dots avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
