Valley Central is 1-9 against Kingston since May of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Vikings will host the Tigers at 11:00 a.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
On Wednesday, Valley Central needed a bit of extra time to put away Port Jervis. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over the Raiders. That's two games straight that the Vikings have won by just one run.
Luke Watson and Caleb Swart made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Watson struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Meanwhile, Swart struck out 12 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. At the plate, Watson scored three runs while going 1-for-5, while Swart scored a run while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances. Watson also brought in an RBI, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Justin Freeman and Mason McDonald did most of the damage at the plate: Freeman scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances, while McDonald went 3-for-5 with one stolen base and one RBI. Freeman also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Nathan Welt, who scored a run while going 1-for-5.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Kingston challenged Warwick on Wednesday. The Tigers had just enough and edged out the Wildcats 6-5. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Wildcats recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Like Valley Central, Kingston also got a great game from a two-way player: Preston Provenzano. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. Provenzano was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-3.
In other pitching news, Jack Purvis looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Jake Martino, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3. Wade Holsapple was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
The victory got Valley Central back to even at 3-3. As for Kingston, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-1-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Valley Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Kingston struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
