The Larue County Hawks will face off against the Washington County Commanders at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Larue County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.6 runs per game this season.
Larue County took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They never let Caverna get on the board and left with a 22-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won 11 games by six runs or more so far this season.
Dekker Thomas made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs.
In other batting news, Brayden Singleton was a standout: he got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, two RBI, and one double. Cole Miller was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Larue County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .688. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Washington County was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their fifth straight defeat. They came up short against Green County, falling 10-3.
Jontate Smith made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
Larue County has been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 12 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Washington County, their loss dropped their record down to 7-12.
Washington County's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Larue County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. It's a different story for Washington County, though, as they've only averaged .362. Will they be able to contain Larue County's hitters?
Larue County came out on top in a nail-biter against Washington County when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 4-3. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Commanders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
