The Fort Chiswell Pioneers will square off against the Richlands Blue Tornado at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Richlands will be up against a hot Fort Chiswell squad: the team just extended their winning streak to four. The Pioneers never let George Wythe get on the board and left with an 11-0 victory on Thursday. Considering the Pioneers have won seven games by more than six runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Richlands ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They blew past Graham 21-15. The Blue Tornado's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Gage Hylton made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with five runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Collin Adkins, who got on base in all six of his plate appearances with four stolen bases, three runs, and two doubles. Those doubles were his first of the season. Parker Spencer was another key player, going 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs.
Richlands always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .528. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Fort Chiswell pushed their record up to 8-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 18.7 runs over those games. As for Richlands, their win ended a five-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-5.
Fort Chiswell took their victory against Richlands in their previous matchup back in March by a conclusive 16-3 score. Will the Pioneers repeat their success, or do the Blue Tornado have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
