The Grant County Braves will take on the Bracken County Polar Bears at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Grant County will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Friday, then bounced right back against Bourbon County on Saturday. The Braves put the hurt on the Colonels with a sharp 10-1 win. Considering the Braves have won eight matches by more than six runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Seth Tucker
| 04/19/25 vs Bourbon County | 7 |
| 03/27/25 vs Villa Madonna | 3 |
| 04/18/24 @ Williamstown | 10 |
Seth Tucker was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. He has become a key player for Grant County: the team is 8-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 1-5 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Luke Williams, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, two doubles, and one run. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of James Ely, who earned one run and two stolen bases.
Grant County kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Bracken County can bid farewell to their seven-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They blew past Holmes 20-9. The Polar Bears' offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.
Mitchell Steinhauer made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Steinhauer was even better at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with four runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Noah Bachman was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season. Another player making a difference was Caleb Emery, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple.
Grant County's victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 9-6. As for Bracken County, their win bumped their record up to 2-8.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Grant County has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.9 hits per game. However, it's not like Bracken County struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.5 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Grant County took their victory against Bracken County in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 17-7 score. Will the Braves repeat their success, or do the Polar Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
