The McCreary Central Raiders will head out on the road to square off against the Knox Central Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. McCreary Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
McCreary Central not only won on Tuesday, but they posted their biggest win since April 13th (when they won 15-0). Everything went their way against Barbourville as they made off with a 16-1 victory. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Tigers: they've now won six in a row.
Greyson Stephens was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Stephens was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other pitching news, Teegan Kennedy looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. What's more, he posted three strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
Kolton Summers
| 05/12/26 vs Barbourville | 4 |
| 04/06/26 @ Scott | 4 |
| 03/26/26 vs Oneida | 4 |
| 04/14/26 @ Somerset Christian | 3 |
| 04/13/26 @ Somerset Christian | 3 |
| + 14 more games |
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Kolton Summers, who went 2-for-3 with four runs, two triples, and one RBI. He is becoming a predictor of McCreary Central's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 9-1 (and 6-10 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan West, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs.
Meanwhile, Knox Central hadn't done well against North Laurel recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Panthers had just enough and edged out the Jaguars 8-7. Eight seems to be a good number for the Panthers as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Like McCreary Central, Knox Central also got a great game from a two-way player: Hayden Melton. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Melton has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one double.
McCreary Central's record now sits at 15-11. As for Knox Central, their record is now 22-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. McCreary Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Knox Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
