The Western Hills Wolverines will challenge the Eminence Warriors at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Western Hills is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.9 runs per game this season.
Western Hills took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They came out on top against Franklin County by a score of 9-4. While the Wolverines didn't have the best season last year (they finished 12-17), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Cole Semones
| 04/16/25 vs Franklin County | 10 |
| 03/21/25 vs Bath County | 8 |
| 03/27/24 vs Bath County | 7 |
| 04/23/24 @ Great Crossing | 5 |
| 05/16/24 vs Bryan Station | 4 |
Cole Semones made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and only one walk). Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run.
In other batting news, Noah Morris was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Asher Gatewood was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Eminence entered their tilt with Gallatin County on Thursday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 7-6 W against the Wildcats.
Like Western Hills, Eminence also got a great game from a two-way player: Tanner Simpson. He struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. Simpson was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Kaleb Simpson, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Kendrick Cassity also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen bases of the season.
Western Hills pushed their record up to 14-3 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Eminence, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Eminence's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Western Hills hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .361. It's a different story for Eminence, though, as they've only averaged .254. Will they be able to contain Western Hills' hitters?
Western Hills took their victory against Eminence in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 13-0 score. Do the Wolverines have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Warriors turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
