The Washington County Commanders will square off against the Nelson County Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Washington County is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 24-13 margin over Danville on Tuesday. The win continues a trend for the Commanders in their matchups with the Admirals: they've now won nine in a row.
Washington County got a massive performance out of Loren Frantz, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with five stolen bases, five runs, and two RBI. Those five runs gave Frantz a new career-high. Ariana Gonzales was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with three stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI.
Washington County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .667. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Nelson County put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Bardstown an 18-0 shutout. The Cardinals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by seven runs or more this season.
Aubrey Robbins made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jorja Bartley, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Cali Nowlin, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Nelson County's victory bumped their record up to 11-3-1. As for Washington County, their win bumped their record up to 2-13.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Washington County has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. However, it's not like Nelson County struggles in that department as they've averaged .501. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Washington County suffered a grim 13-0 defeat to Nelson County in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Commanders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
