The Colleton County Cougars will head out on the road to square off against the Barnwell Warhorses at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Colleton County 2.6, Barnwell 2.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Friday, Colleton County came up short against May River and fell 7-4. That's two games in a row now that the Cougars have lost by exactly three runs.
Bre Gerard was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Gerard was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Xiomara Oxner was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one stolen base and one double. Another player making a difference was Alexia Eversole, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Barnwell waltzed into their contest on Friday with 11 straight wins... but they left with 12. They were the clear victors by a 10-4 margin over the Yellow Jackets. The Warhorses might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Jaidyn Devore spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on two hits and racked up 14 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Shalayah Badger, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI.
Barnwell hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive games.
Barnwell pushed their record up to 17-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Colleton County, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 14-3.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Colleton County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .497. However, it's not like Barnwell struggles in that department as they've averaged .441. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Colleton County came out on top in a nail-biter against Barnwell when the teams last played back in March of 2024, sneaking past 8-6. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Warhorses have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
