The Cumberland Pirates will face off against the Fairfield Mules at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Wednesday, Cumberland needed a bit of extra time to put away Arcola. They won by a run and slipped past the Purple Riders 7-6. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Pirates as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Maddox Miller
| 04/22/26 vs Arcola | 6 |
| 04/13/26 @ Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond | 2 |
| 04/06/26 @ Paris | 4 |
| 03/30/26 @ Carlyle | 5 |
| 03/20/26 @ Shelbyville | 6 |
Grady Jones and Maddox Miller made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Jones struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Miller struck out six batters over four innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. At the plate, Jones got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Miller went 1-for-4 with one home run. That home run was Miller's first of the season.
In other batting news, Adyn Heuerman was excellent, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI. Hudson McElravy was another key player, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Fairfield, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Flora on Wednesday, sneaking past 6-5.
The team relied heavily on Caleb King, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run. The team also got some help courtesy of Jake Easton, who went 2-for-5 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Cumberland's win bumped their record up to 4-11. As for Fairfield, their victory bumped their record up to 12-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cumberland has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Fairfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
