Baseball Recap: James Monroe Takes a Loss

James Monroe dropped their record down to 15-12 on Wednesday, which also ended the team's three-game streak of wins on the road. They lost 7-0 to the PikeView Panthers. While getting shut out isn't ideal, the Mavericks haven't been shut out since back in April.

As for PikeView, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six games. That's provided a massive bump to their 15-10 record this season. They might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 12 matches by six runs or more this season.

For PikeView's part, Eli Hilling was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 12 over seven innings pitched. Hilling has been consistent for a while: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. PikeView is undefeated when Hilling posts two or more stolen bases, but 9-10 otherwise.

In other batting news, Trenton Tolliver was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs and one stolen base. He has become a key player for PikeView: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 8-10 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Eli Naylor, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and two RBI.

Looking ahead, James Monroe will be playing in front of their home fans against Midland Trail at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. As for PikeView, they will face off against Greenbrier East at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. The Panthers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Spartans have averaged an impressive 7.3 runs per game this season.