Baseball Game Preview: Salem Spartans vs. Blacksburg Bruins

The Salem Spartans are taking a road trip to square off against the Blacksburg Bruins at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Salem has given up an average of 7.5 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Salem blew William Byrd out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Monday William Byrd got their revenge. The Spartans fell just short of the Terriers by a score of 14-12. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last six times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Pulaski County hit Blacksburg with a seven-run sixth inning on Thursday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Bruins fell just short of the Cougars by a score of 10-9. The matchup marked the Bruins' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Sam Szefc put in work while hitting and pitching. He pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.

In other batting news, Brandt Abbott made the most of his time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Zay Noble was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.

Salem's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Blacksburg, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 4-1.

Everything went Salem's way against Blacksburg in their previous matchup back in June of 2025, as Salem made off with a 10-1 victory. Do the Spartans have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bruins turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.