East Ridge had lost four straight on the road, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 8-13 to make it five. They lost 18-2 to the Pikeville Panthers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 20-0 back in April.
As for Pikeville, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last 11 games. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.1 runs over those games.
For Pikeville's part, Isaiah Stanley made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Stanley has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Gage Burgett and Bradyn Hall did most of the damage at the plate: Burgett went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Hall went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Burgett is becoming a predictor of Pikeville's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 9-10 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Caden Justice, who got on base in both of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Coming up, East Ridge will be playing at home against Jackson City at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The Warriors' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Tigers have averaged an impressive 6.6 runs per game this season. As for Pikeville, they will venture away from home to face off against Knott County Central at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
