Baseball Recap: Van Takes a Loss

Van had lost 18 straight on the road dating back to last season, but on Thursday they dropped their record down to 0-13 to make it 19. They took a 9-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Tug Valley Panthers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Panthers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 10-0 on Thursday.

As for Tug Valley, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games.

For Tug Valley's part, Gavin Fitzpatrick was incredible, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and two runs. Fitzpatrick has become a key player for the Panthers: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-8 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Gage Whitt, who went 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Van will take on Wahama at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Tug Valley, they will venture away from home to face off against Ravenswood at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The Panthers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Red Devils have averaged an impressive 8.5 runs per game this season.