Cherokee extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping them down to 1-7. They came up short against the Swain County Maroon Devils, falling 15-1. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Maroon Devils this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 18-1 on March 6th.
Cherokee saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Emiliano Garcia, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
As for Swain County, they moved to 3-6 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for they considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
On Swain County's side, Ayden Smiley was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over five innings pitched. Smiley also tossed no walks, which is notable because Swain County is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 1-5 otherwise. Smiley was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, Jones Robinson was incredible, going 2-for-4 with four runs, one double, and one RBI. Those four runs gave him a new career-high. Evan Ball was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming contests. Cherokee will head out to face off against Rosman at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The Tigers have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 12.38 runs per game on average), something the Braves will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Swain County, they will venture away from home to square off against Andrews at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
