The Robert C. Byrd Eagles will take on the Keyser Golden Tornado at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Robert C. Byrd is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of West Virginia's top teams: Frankfort, who was ranked 12th at the time (Robert C. Byrd was ranked 25th). The Eagles came up short against the Falcons on Thursday, falling 15-1.
Robert C. Byrd saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Owen O'Mara, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one RBI.
Keyser came out on top against Lewis County on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive seven-run first inning. The Golden Tornado walked away with an 8-5 win over the Minutemen.
Lucas Williamson made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off eight hits. Keyser is undefeated when Williamson posts eight or more strikeouts, but 4-18-1 otherwise. Williamson was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, Mikey Mongold was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Lucas Davy, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Keyser was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .412. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Robert C. Byrd's loss dropped their record down to 16-10. As for Keyser, their victory ended an 11-game drought on the road and puts them at 7-18-1.
Keyser's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Robert C. Byrd hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. It's a different story for Keyser, though, as they've only averaged .241. Will they be able to contain Robert C. Byrd's hitters?
Robert C. Byrd was able to grind out a solid win over Keyser in their previous meeting on Wednesday, winning 8-3. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Golden Tornado turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
