The Port St. Joe Tiger Sharks will challenge the Brookstone Cougars at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Port St. Joe is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
Port St. Joe is returning to their home field after beating Franklin County on theirs, despite the fact Franklin County has dominated at home this season. Port St. Joe walked away with a 6-2 win over Franklin County on Friday. The victory continues a trend for the Tiger Sharks in their matchups with the Seahawks: they've now won three in a row.
Tucker Ashcraft looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-low in walks (zero).
On the hitting side, Cole Williams was excellent, scoring a run while going 2-for-3. Corban Butts was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Brookstone had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They never let the Blue Devils get on the board and left with a 7-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won eight matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Brennan Neal and Chanwoo Kim made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Neal pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Kim didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over six innings pitched. Neal has been consistent : he hasn't given up a single earned run in eight consecutive appearances. At bat, Neal scored two runs while going 1-for-3, while Kim scored a run while going 2-for-2.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mercer Hudson, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Maxwell Jones, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Brookstone was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .323 or higher in four consecutive games.
Brookstone's victory was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-2. As for Port St. Joe, they now have a winning record of 10-9.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Port St. Joe has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. However, it's not like Brookstone struggles in that department as they've averaged .446. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
