The Sherman Tide will take on the Pendleton County Wildcat at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday. Sherman's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Pendleton County's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Sherman is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They never let Madonna get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. Considering the Tide have won 16 games by more than five runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Luke Tagliente made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up a single earned run in 17 consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Colby Atkins, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. JonAaron Seacrist was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two runs and one stolen base.
Sherman always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Madonna only posted an OBP of .125.
Meanwhile, Pendleton County hadn't done well against East Hardy recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Wildcat walked away with an 8-4 win over the Cougars. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Wildcat.
Like Sherman, Pendleton County also got a great game from a two-way player: Chase Owens. On the mound, he pitched 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits. Owens was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Cashton Kisamore was excellent, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Another player making a difference was Mason Miller, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
The victory got Pendleton County back to even at 16-16. As for Sherman, their record now sits at 25-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Sherman has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pendleton County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
