The Cumberland Dukes will venture away from home to face off against the Buckingham Knights at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Cumberland has struggled recently with five losses in a row, while Buckingham will arrive with seven straight victories.
Cumberland couldn't beat Surry County on Wednesday even though they stacked five runs on them in the sixth inning. The Dukes came up short against the Cougars, falling 19-9.
Justin Flowers made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Ayden Brodie, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Buckingham came out on top against Prince Edward County on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run third inning. The Knights were the clear victors by an 11-2 margin over the Eagles. Considering the Knights have won four matches by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Andrew Dorrier made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Blake Shumaker, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Ty Wilkerson was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Buckingham was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Prince Edward County only posted a batting average of .087.
Buckingham's win was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-0. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.8 runs on average over those games. As for Cumberland, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cumberland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Buckingham struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cumberland couldn't quite finish off Buckingham when the teams last played back in May of 2024 and fell 2-0. Can the Dukes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
