It was a good run, but Hickory unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Western Branch Bruins by a score of 3-2. Hickory was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Western Branch apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in April of 2023.
Jake Cozart was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched 5.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Hickory saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Vinarov, who went 3-for-3 with a home run.
On Western Branch's side, Gavin Biernot looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
Hickory's defeat dropped their record down to 9-7-1. As for Western Branch, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-2 record this season.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hickory will square off against Nansemond River at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Western Branch, they will be staying on the road on Saturday to face off against Benedictine at 12:00 p.m.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
