Crittenden County hasn't had much luck against Union County recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Rockets will head out to challenge the Braves at 5:30 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Crittenden County barely beat Hopkins County Central the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Rockets' pitcher stepped up to hand the Storm a 10-0 shutout on Monday. The win continues a trend for the Rockets in their matchups with the Storm: they've now won nine in a row.
Not much got past Jake Rich, who gave up just six hits and racked up nine Ks to keep Hopkins County Central off the board. Rich has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in eight consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Hudson Stokes was incredible, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Jaxton Duncan, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Union County not only won on Monday, but they posted their biggest win since May 11, 2024 (when they won 13-0). They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over University Heights.
Coltin Capps looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Braden Cluchie, who got on base in two of his three plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. That run was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Garrett Shouse, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one run.
Union County hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matches.
Crittenden County's record now sits at 8-11. As for Union County, their victory ended a five-game drought at home and bumped them up to 7-12.
Crittenden County came up short against Union County in their previous meeting back in March, falling 12-7. Can the Rockets avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
