The Gilmer County Titans will square off against the St. Joseph Central Irish at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Gilmer County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over Greater Beckley Christian. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Titans considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Kolten Holbert spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on two hits and racked up 13 Ks.
On the hitting side, Roddick Page was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. Guage Goodrich also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, St. Joseph Central entered their tilt with Trinity Christian on Saturday with five consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with six. They put the hurt on the Warriors with a sharp 11-3 victory.
St. Joseph Central also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Jacob Courts gave up only one earned (and two unearned) runs on two hits and racked up nine Ks. Courts has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Wyatt Pence, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Cam Kellar, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and one double.
St. Joseph Central always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .543. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in five consecutive games.
Gilmer County's record is now 27-7. As for St. Joseph Central, their record now sits at 32-3.
Both the two teams just can't seem to miss. Gilmer County has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 8.8 hits per game. However, it's not like St. Joseph Central 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.
Gilmer County came up short against St. Joseph Central in their previous matchup back in April, falling 10-5. Can the Titans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
