The Model Patriots are taking a road trip to square off against the Rowan County Vikings at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Model comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
Model fought the good fight in their extra-innings matchup against Garrard County on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Golden Lions by a score of 6-5.
Matthew Gorbett made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one double. Those hits marked the first that he has got this season. Another player making a difference was Cal Hall, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two doubles.
Meanwhile, it was close, but on Thursday Rowan County sidestepped Mason County for a 5-3 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.
Rowan County also got a great performance from Sawyer Rodgers as he struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). Rodgers has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single walk any time he's pitched this season.
At the plate, Aaron Pennington was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. He has become a key player for Rowan County: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 0-4 otherwise. Brody Lykins was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Rowan County's record is now 2-5. As for Model, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.
Model's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's game. The Patriots have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Rowan County, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Model continue to outrun the ball?
Model suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Rowan County in their previous matchup back in March of 2025. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
