Augusta will square off against Ludlow at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Ludlow's hitters are going to have their work cut out for them on Friday: Augusta hadn't allowed a single run the last three times they've hit the field. The Panthers never let Robertson County get on the board and left with a 15-0 win on Thursday. While the Panthers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Will Kelsch made a splash while hitting and pitching. He tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Kelsch was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Augusta let Grayson Miller and Griffin Miller run wild. Grayson went a perfect 2-for-2 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs, while Griffin scored two runs and stole five bases while going 1-for-1. Those five stolen bases gave Griffin a new career-high. Jesse Deiter was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-2.
Augusta was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .562. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Ludlow had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They put the hurt on Holmes with a sharp 13-2 victory on Wednesday. With that win, the Panthers brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Jackson Mays made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off two hits. He has become a key player for Ludlow: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 3-4 otherwise. Mays was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Joseph Scott and Parker Trenkamp did most of the damage at the plate: Scott scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Trenkamp scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Andre Englemon, who scored three runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
Augusta pushed their record up to 6-3 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. As for Ludlow, the victory got them back to even at 5-5.
Augusta suffered a grim 15-5 defeat to Ludlow when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will Augusta have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
