The Powell County Pirates will challenge the Knott County Central Patriots at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Powell County is looking for their season's first win.
Powell County is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They took an 11-6 hit to the loss column at the hands of Hazard on Friday.
Layne Rogers was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.2 stolen bases per game. Dylan Trent was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Knott County Central and Prestonsburg, and Knott County Central kept the tradition alive. The Patriots blew past the Blackcats 13-2 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Patriots have posted against the Blackcats since April 19, 2018.
Connor Napier was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed four innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2025.
In other batting news, Knott County Central let Michael Parks and Mason Amburgey run wild. Parks went 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs, while Amburgey went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one triple. That's the most doubles Amburgey has posted since back in April of 2025. Another player making a difference was Keaton Maggard, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases and one RBI.
Knott County Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .435. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Prestonsburg only posted a batting average of .176.
Knott County Central pushed their record up to 2-2 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.1 runs on average over those games. As for Powell County, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Powell County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Knott County Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Powell County was able to grind out a solid win over Knott County Central when the teams last played back in March of 2024, winning 6-1. Do the Pirates have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Patriots turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
