The Jefferson Cougars will challenge the Hedgesville Eagles at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Jefferson is coming into the match hot, having won their last four games.
On Saturday, Jefferson needed a bit of extra time to put away Wheeling Park. They skirted past the Patriots 3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cougars have posted since April 5th.
Andrew Engle spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on two hits.
On the hitting side, Jefferson saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nayan Dominguez, who went 1-for-2 with one run.
Hedgesville never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Green Run on Thursday. They walked away with a 15-10 victory over the Stallions. Considering the Eagles' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Jay Viands looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
At the plate, Landon Pence was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. He has become a key player for Hedgesville: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-5 otherwise. Brett Pedersen was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs and one RBI.
Hedgesville kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Green Run only managed five hits.
Jefferson's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-2. As for Hedgesville, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Jefferson has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hedgesville struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
