The Alcoa Tornadoes will face off against the Roane County Yellowjackets at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Alcoa 2.8, Roane County 3.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
While Alcoa's win against Oneida wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Tornadoes sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over the Indians on Wednesday. The Tornadoes haven't had any issues with the Indians recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Bleau Kennedy
| 04/02/25 vs Oneida | 7 |
| 03/17/25 vs Gatlinburg-Pittman | 11 |
| 03/11/25 vs Lenoir City | 9 |
| 03/04/25 vs McMinn Central | 6 |
Aden Orrick and Bleau Kennedy were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Orrick pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Kennedy struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. At bat, Orrick scored a run and stole a base, while Kennedy scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, Miles Watson was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Myles Cox, who scored a run and stole a base.
Meanwhile, Roane County unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Wednesday. They wound up with the same score they had in their last game (4-2), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss they have suffered since May 2, 2024.
Roane County saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Brighton Presley, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Alcoa pushed their record up to 13-3 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Roane County, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 11-4-1.
Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Alcoa has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .453. However, it's not like Roane County struggles in that department as they've averaged .461. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Alcoa took their victory against Roane County in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 12-2 score. Will the Tornadoes repeat their success, or do the Yellowjackets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
