Cloudland hasn't had much luck against Happy Valley recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Highlanders will be playing in front of their home fans against the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. Cloudland has given up an average of 15.2 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Cloudland managed to slip by Unaka the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Highlanders lost 19-9 to the Rangers on Monday. Surprisingly, this marked the third straight game that the away team has come away the victor.
Walker Gouge made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Thomas Job was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Happy Valley made easy work of North Greene on Tuesday and carried off a 20-1 victory. The Warriors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six contests by ten runs or more this season.
Drew Blevins made a big impact no matter where he played. He didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over five innings pitched. Blevins was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Happy Valley got a massive performance out of Aiden Hartsook, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Carlos Lopez, who scored three runs while going 1-for-2.
Happy Valley pushed their record up to 10-7-1 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.3 runs over those games. As for Cloudland, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cloudland has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Happy Valley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cloudland suffered a grim 17-7 defeat to Happy Valley when the teams last played back in March. Will the Highlanders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
