The Meade County Green Waves will head out on the road to square off against the Taylor County Cardinals at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Meade County's pitching crew has only allowed 3.7 runs per game this season, so Taylor County's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Friday, Meade County was able to grind out a solid victory over Marion County, taking the game 6-2. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Green Waves.
Jeffrey Johnson tossed a big game, striking out nine batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Grayson Rhodes, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with two stolen bases, one triple, and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. John Honaker also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meade County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Marion County only managed four hits.
Meanwhile, Taylor County sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 win over Male on Friday.
Cole McLean was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Gabe Cole was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Taylor County is on a roll lately: they've won 14 of their last 17 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Meade County, their record now sits at 18-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Meade County has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Taylor County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Meade County couldn't quite get it done against Taylor County when the teams last played back in March of 2024 as they fell 6-3. Can the Green Waves avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
