St. Marys is 2-8 against Tyler since April of 2021 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Blue Devils will look to defend their home field against the Knights at 5:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
St. Marys got their first taste of in-conference action on Wednesday and they started things off strong. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Wirt County 5-3.
Desmond Parks and Brady Rinard did most of the damage at the plate: Parks scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3, while Rinard went 1-for-3 with one triple and two RBI. That's the most runs Parks has posted over his last ten games.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: St. Marys kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Wirt County only managed five hits.
Meanwhile, after low-scoring totals in their previous four contests, Tyler brought some dynamite into their most recent contest. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Valley a 10-0 shutout on Wednesday. The win was some much needed relief for the Knights as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Reese Davis and Brayden Neff made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Davis tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Neff tossed 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Davis also tossed no walks, which is notable because Tyler is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 3-8 otherwise. At bat, Davis scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4, while Neff scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Davis also hit a triple, marking his first of the season.
In other batting news, Tyler let Brennon Miller and Landon Boggs run wild. Miller scored three runs while going 3-for-3, while Boggs scored a run while going 2-for-3. Miller is becoming a predictor of Tyler's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 4-8 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Colby Nichols, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Tyler's victory bumped their record up to 7-8. As for St. Marys, their win bumped their record up to 4-10-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. St. Marys has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.3 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tyler struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
St. Marys might still be hurting after the 14-4 defeat they got from Tyler in their previous meeting on April 1st. Will the Blue Devils have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
