Murphy was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their seventh straight loss. They took a 13-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Swain County Maroon Devils. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Murphy of the 18-7 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture last Tuesday.
Murphy saw eight different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Zack Skogan, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
On Swain County's side, Lawson Woodard made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and six unearned) runs off eight hits. Woodard was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
In other batting news, Swain County let Ayden Smiley and Carter Hayes loose on the outfield. Smiley went 3-for-5 with four RBI, a run, and a double, while Hayes went 2-for-5 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Forrest Shuler, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Murphy's loss dropped their record down to 4-10. As for Swain County, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 10-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Murphy will take on Robbinsville at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Murphy is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.7 runs per game this season. As for Swain County, they will head out on the road to face off against Andrews at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Swain County is facing Andrews at the right time seeing as Andrews is stuck on a nine-game losing streak.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
