Cowan is 1-7 against Shenandoah since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Cowan Blackhawks will head out on the road to face off against the Shenandoah Raiders at 5:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Cowan is headed into the matchup fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Wes-Del with a sharp 16-3 win on Wednesday. Considering Cowan has won three matches by more than nine runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Jackson Clifford and Thomas Brooks made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Clifford struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Brooks pitched 1.2 innings while giving up no earned run off one hit. Clifford has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive pitching appearances. At the plate, Clifford went 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Brooks went 3-for-6 with a stolen base and an RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jaydon Auker, who scored five runs and stole a base while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances. Jaden Unger was another key contributor, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Shenandoah entered their tilt with Monroe Central with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Golden Bears a 13-0 shutout on Tuesday. That looming 13-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Shenandoah yet this season.
Like Cowan, Shenandoah also got a great game from a two-way player: Drew Fredenburg. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only one hit while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Fredenburg was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, Collin Osenbaugh was a standout: he scored three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Harrison Jessup, who scored two runs while going 1-for-2.
The victory made it two in a row for Cowan and bumps their season record up to 3-4. As for Shenandoah, their win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 5-2.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cowan has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Shenandoah struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cowan suffered a grim 10-2 defeat to Shenandoah when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Thankfully for Cowan, Dylan McDaniel (who didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
