Baseball Recap: Livingston Central Comes Up Short

Livingston Central extended their losing streak to three on Friday, dropping their season record down to 4-11 in the process. They lost 24-13 to the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons. Even though they lost, the Cardinals' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.1 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).

Aiden Hale and Mason Hargrove stepped up to the plate in a big way. Hale went 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI, while Hargrove got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Hale is becoming a predictor of Livingston Central's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 2-10 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Avery Zaim, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.

As for Madisonville-North Hopkins, they now have a winning record of 9-8. Considering they have won eight games by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

On Madisonville-North Hopkins' side, Matthew Yates was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Yates has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in five of his seven plate appearances with three stolen bases and four runs. Those four runs gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, Evan Lear was a standout: he got on base in four of his seven plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Ryder Sandidge was another key player, getting on base in four of his seven plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and one RBI.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Livingston Central will welcome Obion County at 3:40 p.m. on Saturday. As for Madisonville-North Hopkins, they will be playing at home against Crittenden County at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Maroons are facing the Rockets at the right time seeing as the Rockets are stuck on a five-game losing streak.