Unity Christian extended their losing streak to six on Thursday, dropping their season record down to 3-11-1 in the process. They lost 17-10 to the Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] Titans. Even if the Lions couldn't come away with the win, the high-scoring effort was a great turnaround for their hitters, which had struggled int the games prior.
Zach Hesse put in work while hitting and pitching. He pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Furthermore, he didn't allow a single earned run, the first time he has blanked an opponent since back in April of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Hesse wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Avery Smith, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.
As for Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland], their record is now 6-12. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for they considering their two-run performance the matchup before.
Like Unity Christian, Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] also got a great game from a two-way player: Garrett Pollock. On the mound, he tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and five unearned) runs off five hits. Pollock has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. He has become a key player for Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland]: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 3-11 otherwise.
In other batting news, Chase Rhode and Anthony Smith did most of the damage at the plate: Rhode went 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles, while Smith went 1-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland] is 4-1 when Smith posts two or more runs, but 2-11 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Myles Watson, who went 1-for-5 with three stolen bases and two runs.
Unity Christian has already played their next game, an 11-1 loss against St. Teresa on the 13th. As for Tri-County [Kansas/Shiloh/Oakland], they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next contest, a 4-3 defeat against Sullivan on the 10th.
