The Cougar baseball team had a touch of a rough start to the season, winning a game on the road before dropping three in a row, but has continued to learn and grow throughout the season. Now, the Cougars have battled their way into not only the Class 3, Region D Championship game Friday, but a berth in the State Playoffs.
The Cougars finished the regular season 11-10 overall, dropping their final two games to Salem and Carroll County. They started the Region playoffs with a home game against the Northside Vikings, earning a 3-1 victory and ending the Vikings season at 12-12.
Next up, the Cougars faced a much tougher task in the form of the Magna Vista Warriors. Magna Vista came into the game with a fine record of 20 wins and just two losses. Pulaski County, on the road and playing earlier in the day to give the Warriors time to enjoy their graduation that same night, handed them their third and final loss of the season in a 4-0 shutout.
Tuesday, the Cougars hit the road again against the Cave Spring Knights. The Cougars lost their first matchup with the Knights March 19 by a score of 7-10. In the regular season rematch, Cave Spring walked away with another win, this time 9-3. Tuesday, the Cougars proved how much heart counts, earning a 5-3 victory to put them in the Region Title game and secure a spot in the VHSL State Playoffs.
The Cougars will take on another familiar foe Friday, when they play the Lord Botetourt Cavaliers. The two teams played twice this season. On April 22, the Cougars fell by a final score of 5-3 on the road in Daleville. On May 2, the Cougars avenged that loss with a 15-6 victory at PCHS.
Botetourt comes into the matchup with a record of 15 wins and 7 losses. The Cougars are now 14-10. On paper, the Cougars have averaged 6.8 runs, 8.7 hits, a .250 batting average, and 3 errors per game. The Cavaliers are averaging 5.8 runs, 7.8 hits, a .281 batting average, and 1.7 errors.
Game time is currently set for 6 p.m. and is listed as being at Lord Botetourt High School, but that could possibly change before Friday. We will update that if it changes.