The North Stokes Vikings will take on the R.J. Reynolds Demons at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. North Stokes' pitching crew has only allowed 3.1 runs per game this season, so R.J. Reynolds' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
North Stokes took a loss when they played away from home on Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They walked away with a 6-1 victory over Mount Airy.
Elijah Whicker spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up seven Ks.
Meanwhile, while R.J. Reynolds put up some runs on Tuesday, the same can't be said for Parkland. The Demons put the hurt on the Mustangs with a sharp 10-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Demons, who have now won four games by six runs or more so far this season.
Joakim Rose and Kevin Baker made a big impact while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Rose struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Baker struck out seven batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). R.J. Reynolds is undefeated when Baker allows one or fewer hits, but 3-7 otherwise. At bat, Rose scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-4, while Baker scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3. That's the most stolen bases Rose has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Gavin Searcy was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. He is becoming a predictor of R.J. Reynolds' success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is undefeated (and 2-7 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Ethan Sheridan, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.
R.J. Reynolds kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
North Stokes' victory bumped their record up to 11-5. As for R.J. Reynolds, their win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Stokes has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like R.J. Reynolds struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
