The Claiborne Bulldogs are taking a road trip to challenge the Volunteer Falcons at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Claiborne is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.8 runs per game this season.
While Claiborne's win against Hancock County wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Bulldogs had just enough and edged out the Indians 7-6 on Wednesday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Garrett Keiter
| 04/08/25 @ Grainger | 6 |
| 03/17/25 @ Cherokee | 4 |
| 03/11/25 vs Cumberland Gap | 4 |
| 03/27/25 vs Volunteer | 3 |
| 04/01/25 @ Greeneville | 2 |
| + 2 more games |
Garrett Keiter made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). He has become a key player for Claiborne: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one hit, but 9-11 otherwise. Keiter was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Landon Hemphill was incredible, going a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple, one stolen base, and two RBI. That triple was his first of the season. Sam Wilson was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Volunteer was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They lost 11-1 to Greeneville.
Claiborne is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a massive bump to their 12-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Volunteer, their loss dropped their record down to 5-17.
Volunteer's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Claiborne has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .455. It's a different story for Volunteer, though, as they've only averaged .272. Will they be able to contain Claiborne's hitters?
Claiborne couldn't quite finish off Volunteer in their previous meeting back in March and fell 2-0. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
