Viola has gone a perfect 7-0 against Hillcrest recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Longhorns will look to defend their home field against the Screamin Eagles at 3:00 p.m. Viola is coming into the contest on a six-game losing streak.
Things were looking good for Viola after they put the first run on the board on Tuesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 8-7 to Izard County, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior.
Beau Cowgill was huge no matter where he played even without the win. On the mound, he tossed 2.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off one hit. That one hit allowed gave him a new career-low. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Mattix Rowden
| 03/31/26 vs Izard County | 3 |
| 03/19/26 @ Norfork | 2 |
| 03/17/26 vs Omaha | 1 |
In other batting news, Mattix Rowden made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and got on base in three of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Tucker Cowgill, who went 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Hillcrest, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Monday. They never let Crowley's Ridge Academy get on the board and left with a 15-0 victory on Tuesday.
Hillcrest pushed their record up to 4-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for Viola, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-9.
Everything went Viola's way against Hillcrest when the teams last played back in March of 2019, as Viola made off with a 10-0 win. Do the Longhorns have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Screamin Eagles turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
