The Westside Renegades will head out to challenge the Summers County Bobcats at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Westside has given up an average of 7.1 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last six times Westside and Tug Valley have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Monday. The Renegades lost 12-4 to the Panthers. The Renegades have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
Parker Cline made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. Hayden Miller was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one run.
Meanwhile, Summers County posted their closest win since April 4th on Tuesday. They skirted past Greenbrier West 7-5. The victory continues a trend for the Bobcats in their matchups with the Cavaliers: they've now won four in a row.
Colten Jones made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out 12 batters over 6.1 innings while giving up four earned runs off six hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Summers County is undefeated when Jones posts three or more hits, but 5-18 otherwise.
In other batting news, Cody Snavely was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for Summers County: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-18 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Robey Brown, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Westside's defeat dropped their record down to 7-12. As for Summers County, their record is now 8-18.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Westside has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Summers County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Westside got the 'W' when the teams last played back in March against Summers County by a conclusive 8-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Renegades since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.