The Rowan County Vikings will head out on the road to face off against the Breathitt County Bobcats at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Rowan County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
While Rowan County's win against Fleming County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Vikings won by a run and slipped past the Panthers 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Vikings have posted since May 11, 2024.
The team relied heavily on Will Richardson, who went 1-for-3 with one triple and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Aaron Pennington, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one run.
Breathitt County came out on top against Leslie County on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run fourth inning. The Bobcats walked away with a 6-1 win over the Eagles. The Bobcats haven't had any issues with the Eagles recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Aiden Combs made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Combs was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Colby Bird was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
The win made it two in a row for Rowan County and bumps their season record up to 18-10. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Breathitt County, their win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-10.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Rowan County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Breathitt County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Rowan County came up short against Breathitt County in their previous meeting last Monday, falling 12-8. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.