The Poca Dots will face off against the Clay County Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Having struggled with eight losses in a row, Poca turned things around against Braxton County on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Eagles. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Dots have posted since April 22, 2025.
Nick Graley
| 04/14/26 vs Braxton County | 4 |
| 03/28/26 @ Doddridge County | 2 |
| 05/01/25 @ Webster County | 2 |
| 04/22/25 @ Teays Valley Christian | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Hannan | 2 |
The team relied heavily on Nick Graley, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Colton Dunbar was another key player, earning one run and two stolen bases.
Clay County let Ravenswood stack five runs on them in the fourth inning on Tuesday but luckily Clay County prevailed anyway. The Panthers narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past the Red Devils 7-6.
Pierce Adkins was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He is becoming a predictor of Clay County's success: when he allows at most two hits the team is 2-1 (and 4-7 when he doesn't). Adkins was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. He has been hot for a while, having posted at least one stolen base the last 13 times he's played.
In other batting news, John Paxton was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Lathan Brown, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
Poca's win bumped their record up to 7-9. As for Clay County, their victory bumped their record up to 6-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Poca has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Clay County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
