Indian River is 1-9 against Hickory since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Braves will host the Hawks at 5:45 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Monday, Indian River needed a bit of extra time to put away King's Fork. They walked away with an 8-5 win over the Bulldogs. The victory continues a trend for the Braves in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won nine in a row.
Riley Ming
| 05/06/25 vs Great Bridge | 2 |
| 05/08/25 vs Oscar Smith | 1 |
Logan Riley and Riley Ming were major factors while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Riley didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Ming pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He is becoming a predictor of Indian River's success: when he allows at most one hit the team is 2-1 (and 5-12 when he doesn't). At bat, Riley went 4-for-5 with two runs, while Ming got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most stolen bases Ming has posted since back in March of 2024.
In other pitching news, Evan Sheppard looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Jaydon Crawford, who went 2-for-6 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That double was his first of the season.
Indian River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Hickory came tearing into Friday's matchup with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.2 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Warriors 10-3. Considering the Hawks have won nine contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Tommy Blackburn looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits.
On the hitting side, Hickory let Brayden Bachman and Matthew Kemick run wild. Bachman got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three runs and one double, while Kemick got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI. Nickel Ryan was another key player, getting on base in four of his five plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Hickory pushed their record up to 14-5 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Indian River, their win bumped their record up to 7-13.
