The Unioto Shermans will head out to take on the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Unioto is headed out in good spirits considering the team just ended their winless streak on the road against Southeastern on Friday. The Shermans' pitchers stepped up to hand the Panthers a 12-0 shutout.
KB Perkins
KB Perkins made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Unioto is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 1-2 otherwise. Perkins was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2. Those two runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Callaway Ratliff was excellent, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Ethan Pucket also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Unioto kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Lynchburg-Clay came tearing into Friday's contest with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10.5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Rockets 11-0. The Mustangs' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last five matches.
Christian Flowers made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Flowers was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
In other batting news, Lynchburg-Clay let Trevor Niehaus and Josiah Burns run wild. Niehaus scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances, while Burns scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Burns is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Cody Bell, who scored a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Unioto has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.8 runs on average over those games. As for Lynchburg-Clay, their record now sits at 6-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Unioto has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Lynchburg-Clay struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9 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.
