Countryside and Clearwater are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Countryside Cougars will play host again on Thursday to welcome the Clearwater Tornadoes, where first pitch is scheduled at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Wednesday, Countryside was able to grind out a solid win over Lakewood, taking the game 7-2.
Coe Powell tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Bryce Hickman, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was Jake Nevins, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Clearwater came tearing into Monday's game with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.8 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Bulldogs by a score of 9-5.
Dylan Wood made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk). Wood was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ty Woodring, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-3. Logan Bogue was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while getting on base in all two of his plate appearances.
Countryside's victory bumped their record up to 11-8. As for Clearwater, they pushed their record up to 9-9 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Countryside has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Clearwater struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.7. 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.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
