Southern is 2-8 against Northern Garrett since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Rams will welcome the Huskies at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Southern's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Tucker County as they made off with a 27-0 victory. The Rams have beaten the Mountain Lions the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Mountain Lions has come to flipping the script.
Matthew McCartney
| 04/29/25 @ Tucker County | 4 |
| 04/16/25 vs Tucker County | 1 |
| 03/26/25 vs Allegany | 1 |
| 03/22/25 @ Moorefield | 1 |
Matthew McCartney made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Those four runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cade Leader, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Southern's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-6 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Bird, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and one stolen base.
Southern always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .604. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Northern Garrett came tearing into Monday's matchup with nine straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.8 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Panthers.
Like Southern, Northern Garrett also got a great game from a two-way player: Robert Deatelhauser. On the mound, Deatelhauser struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Nick Riley pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Deatelhauser went a perfect 1-for-1 with one stolen base and one run, while Riley went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Devin McKenzie was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Wally Brands, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
Southern's win bumped their record up to 8-6. As for Northern Garrett, they pushed their record up to 14-1 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Southern has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.2 hits per game. However, it's not like Northern Garrett struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 4.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Southern might still be hurting after the 9-3 defeat they got from Northern Garrett in their previous meeting two weeks ago. Will the Rams have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
