Highland is on a five-game streak of home wins, while Virginia Episcopal School is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Hawks will host the Bishops at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Highland had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the eight-run drubbing they dealt Patriot on Tuesday. The Hawks put the hurt on the Pioneers with a sharp 10-2 win.
Ethan Hudson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Joey Rogers was incredible, going 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024. Wright Broadhead was another key player, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Highland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Virginia Episcopal School never let their opponents score on Wednesday. They blew past Eastern Mennonite 29-0. The Bishops haven't had any issues with the Flames recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Like Highland, Virginia Episcopal School also got a great game from a two-way player: Channing Jackson. On the mound, Jackson pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Jack Mitchell struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and not a single walk). At bat, Jackson went 2-for-4 with six RBI, three runs, and one triple, while Mitchell got on base in four of his six plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Virginia Episcopal School got a massive performance out of Lawrence Dempsey, who went 3-for-4 with four runs, two triples, and four RBI. Dempsey has become a key player for the Bishops: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 2-4 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Nate Gobble, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with five runs, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Highland has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 14 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.9 runs over those games. As for Virginia Episcopal School, their victory bumped their record up to 10-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Highland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Virginia Episcopal School struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.6 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Everything went Highland's way against Virginia Episcopal School in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Highland made off with a 17-0 win. Do the Hawks have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bishops turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
