Bell County is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Carter is on a six-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Bobcats will host the Hornets at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Bell County is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
The home team had come away the winner the last four times Bell County and Harlan County had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Bobcats put the hurt on the Black Bears with a sharp 14-3 win on Tuesday. Considering the Bobcats have won five matchups by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Brayden Carroll
| 04/14/26 @ Harlan County | 11 |
| 05/01/25 vs Knox Central | 7 |
| 04/08/26 @ East Jessamine | 4 |
| 03/26/26 vs Knox Central | 4 |
| 04/08/25 @ South Laurel | 4 |
Brayden Carroll was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over 4.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, Cooper Brock was a standout: he went 2-for-5 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2025. Holden Clark was another key player, going 3-for-5 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Bell County always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Harlan County only posted an OBP of .382.
Meanwhile, Carter narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Cocke County 3-2. That's two games straight that the Hornets have won by just one run.
Carter's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ethan Sands, who went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
Bell County now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Carter, their victory bumped their record up to 16-10.
Carter's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bell County hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. It's a different story for Carter, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain Bell County's hitters?
Bell County suffered a grim 20-3 defeat to Carter when the teams last played back in April of 2023. Can the Bobcats avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
