The Cobden Appleknockers will square off against the Pope County Pirates at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Cobden was able to grind out a solid win over Agape Christian, taking the game 13-8. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Appleknockers.
Mason Lyerla
| 04/22/25 @ Agape Christian | 10 |
| 03/26/25 @ Meridian | 8 |
| 03/21/25 vs Galatia/Thompsonville | 6 |
| 03/17/25 @ Webber | 5 |
| 04/05/24 @ Meridian | 5 |
Mason Lyerla was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out ten over five innings pitched. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Thomas Coleman, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Micah Brown was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, while Pope County put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Webber. The Pirates came out on top against the Trojans by a score of 5-0.
Ian Bremer was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Connor Bucher, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Pope County's victory bumped their record up to 6-8. As for Cobden, their win bumped their record up to 3-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cobden has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pope County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Cobden came out on top in a nail-biter against Pope County when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 4-3. Will the Appleknockers repeat their success, or do the Pirates have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
