Baseball Recap: Highland Has No Trouble Against Craig County

After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Parry McCluer, Highland was happy to have turned things around on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over the Craig County Rockets. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Rams as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

John Wagner made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and not a single walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.3 stolen bases per game.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zach Armstrong, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Tristan Carpenter was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-4.

Highland always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .558. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Craig County only posted an OBP of .125.

Highland's victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 3-5. As for Craig County, they are on a seven-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-4.

Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Highland will take on Tygarts Valley at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The Rams' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Bulldogs have averaged an impressive 8.3 runs per game this season. As for Craig County, they will face off against Bath County at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.