Silver Valley is 1-9 against Academy for Academic Excellence since April of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Trojans will head out on the road to square off against the Knights at 3:15 p.m. Silver Valley has given up an average of 9.1 runs per game this season, but Tuesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Silver Valley is headed into Tuesday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Friday. They lost 13-2 to Academy of Careers & Exploration.
Silver Valley saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Mason Melcher, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Academy for Academic Excellence had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They put the hurt on the Royals with a sharp 10-1 win. The result was nothing new for the Knights, who have now won six contests by seven runs or more so far this season.
Noah Knecht and Bryson Lilly were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Knecht didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. Meanwhile, Lilly tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has become a key player for Academy for Academic Excellence: the team is undefeated when he allows at most two hits, but 6-9 otherwise. At the plate, Knecht earned two runs and two stolen bases, while Lilly got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs. Knecht has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last six times he's played.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gavin Ripley, who went 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He is becoming a predictor of Academy for Academic Excellence's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 6-9 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Aiden Carmona, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Academy for Academic Excellence's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-9. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.8 runs on average over those games. As for Silver Valley, their loss dropped their record down to 5-8.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Silver Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Academy for Academic Excellence struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Silver Valley couldn't quite get it done against Academy for Academic Excellence when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 6-1. Can the Trojans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
