After both having extra time off, the Kenston Forest Kavaliers and the Brunswick Academy Vikings will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Kenston Forest sitting on seven straight victories and Brunswick Academy on six.
Kenston Forest proved they can win big last Tuesday (they won by 19) and last Thursday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Southampton Academy, sneaking past 4-3.
Tine Sledd was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched 4.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.
In other batting news, Jobe Sullivan was incredible, firing off two home runs and three runs while going 2-for-2. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Brunswick Academy never let their opponents score last Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Tidewater Academy. With that win, the Vikings brought their scoring average up to 6.9 runs per game.
Like Kenston Forest, Brunswick Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Ross Reese. He tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Reese was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two doubles, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nathan Wells, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Cole Powell was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one run and one RBI.
Brunswick Academy always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .615. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Kenston Forest's victory was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Brunswick Academy, their record is now 9-3.
Kenston Forest's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's contest. The Kavaliers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Brunswick Academy, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Kenston Forest continue to outrun the ball?
Kenston Forest was able to grind out a solid victory over Brunswick Academy in their previous matchup back in March, winning 8-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Kavaliers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
