The Knott County Central Patriots will square off against the Perry County Central Commodores at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Knott County Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Knott County Central came out on top against Harlan on Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run fifth inning. The Patriots were the clear victors by a 10-2 margin over the Green Dragons. The Patriots haven't had any issues with the Green Dragons recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
The team relied heavily on Connor Napier, who went 1-for-2 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. Another player making a difference was Mason Amburgey, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two RBI.
Six must be Perry County Central's lucky number: they beat Leslie County with that score not once but twice on Friday. The Commodores beat the Eagles by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 6-4. Winning may never get old, but the Commodores sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Tate Watts made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Perry County Central is 2-1 when he allows at most one walk, but 12-15 otherwise. Watts was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played.
In other batting news, Devin Gayhart was excellent, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run. He is becoming a predictor of Perry County Central's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 5-1 (and 9-15 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Derrick Fields, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
Perry County Central's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-16. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Knott County Central, their win bumped their record up to 17-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Knott County Central has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Perry County Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Knott County Central's way against Perry County Central in their previous matchup on Saturday, as Knott County Central made off with a 7-1 victory. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Commodores turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
