The Izard County Cougars will challenge the Salem Greyhounds at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
Izard County lost 10-4 to Cedar Ridge on Thursday. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Timberwolves recently, as the team has come up short the last six times they've met.
Izard County saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Xander McCandlis, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Salem). They put the hurt on Bergman with a sharp 17-2 victory on Thursday. With that win, the Greyhounds brought their scoring average up to 7.2 runs per game.
Caleb Leisenring was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Leisenring was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing Four bases. while going 3-for-3. Salem is 3-1 when Leisenring posts two or more runs, but 2-3 otherwise.
In other batting news, Salem got a massive performance out of Kaiden Hollis, who scored two runs and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-3. Hollis also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Owen Guffey, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
Salem was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .522. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.
Salem's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-4. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Izard County, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 2-1.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Izard County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .486. However, it's not like Salem struggles in that department as they've averaged .488. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Izard County couldn't quite get it done against Salem when the teams last played back in March of 2023 as they fell 8-5. Will Izard County have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
