The McLean County Cougars will face off against the Carlisle Indians at 5:30  p.m.  on Friday. McLean County is coming into the  matchup hot, having won their last four games.
McLean County took a ten-run  loss the last time they faced off against Mason County, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Cougars skirted past the Royals  3-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest  victory the Cougars have posted  since May 10, 2024.

 Jaelin Groves
| 04/03/25 @ Mason County | 1 | 
| 03/25/25 vs Daviess County | 1 | 
| 03/22/25 @ Breckinridge County | 1 | 
| 03/18/25 vs Hopkins County Central | 0 | 
 Jaelin Groves spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on five hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't  given up  more than one  earned run in four consecutive appearances.
 At the plate,  the team  relied heavily on  Jax Lee, who  scored two  runs and  stole three bases. That's the most  runs  he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of  Corbin Martin, who  went a perfect 2-for-2 with one  stolen base and one  RBI.
 McLean County  hit smart and  finished the game with only two  strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters  in five consecutive  games.
 Meanwhile, Carlisle beat Mason County 8-3  on Thursday. The  win made it back-to-back  victories for the Indians.
 McLean County's win was  their fourth straight on the road, which  pushed their record up to 7-4. Those  road  victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Carlisle, their record is now 2-0.
 McLean County came out on top in a nail-biter against Carlisle in their previous meeting  back in April of 2024, sneaking past  7-5. Will the Cougars repeat their success,  or do  the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
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