Russell hasn't had much luck against Raceland recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Red Devils are taking a road trip to square off against the Rams at 6:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Russell comes in on six and Raceland on three.
Russell gave up the first runs on Saturday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 12-8 win over Mason County.
Layne Paxson made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Paxson was even better at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March.
Russell kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Raceland faced Pikeville in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Rams were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over the Panthers. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won ten contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Russell, Raceland also got a great game from a two-way player: Parker Ison. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ison has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Landon Bloss was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Michael Pennington was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Russell's record now sits at 14-4. As for Raceland, their record is now 16-1.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Russell has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.2 hits per game. However, it's not like Raceland struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.9 hits. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.