The Valwood Valiants will square off against the Deerfield-Windsor Knights at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Valwood is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.2 runs per game this season.
Valwood took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They were the clear victors by an 11-4 margin over Grace Christian Academy. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Valiants considering their one-run performance the contest before.
Valwood got a great performance from Reavis Barnes as he pitched six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. The dominant performance also gave Barnes a new career-high in strikeouts (four).
Maddox Coile
| 04/24/25 vs Grace Christian Academy | 3 |
| 05/03/24 @ Pinewood Christian | 2 |
| 04/29/24 vs Frederica Academy | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Brookwood | 1 |
| 04/08/25 vs Taylor County | 1 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Maddox Coile, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Triston White, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.
Meanwhile, Deerfield-Windsor earned a 5-1 victory over Valwood.
David Hutchins spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Boyd Pollock was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Collins Clark, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Deerfield-Windsor pushed their record up to 14-5-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.0 runs over those games. As for Valwood, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 13-7 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valwood has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Deerfield-Windsor struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Valwood couldn't quite get it done against Deerfield-Windsor in their previous meeting on Tuesday as they fell 5-1. Will the Valiants have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
