Wirt County is 1-7 against Gilmer County since April of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Tigers are taking a road trip to challenge the Titans at 7:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Wirt County is headed into the contest having just posted their closest win since May 7, 2024 on Wednesday. They had just enough and edged out St. Joseph Central 5-4.
Brody Ewing was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Jakob Moore was another key player, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday Gilmer County's undefeated season almost came to an end. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against Webster County.
Gilmer County's victory was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kolten Holbert, who scored two runs and stole five bases while going 1-for-3. Those five stolen bases gave Holbert a new career-high. Another was Braylon Mencer, who scored a run while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Gilmer County hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five strikeouts batters in three consecutive matches.
Gilmer County pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Wirt County, their record now sits at 4-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wirt County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Gilmer County struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Wirt County came up short against Gilmer County in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, falling 8-4. Can the Tigers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.