The Pinewood Christian Patriots will challenge the Valwood Valiants at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The last four games Pinewood Christian has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Thursday just wasn't the day for Pinewood Christian's offense. They wound up with the same score they had in their last game (1-0), but sadly the team found themselves on the wrong side of the score this time.
Meanwhile, Valwood extended their postseason success on Friday against Lakeview Academy. They came out on top against the Lions by a score of 11-6. The win was familiar territory for the Valiants, who have now won five games in a row.
Colson Smith was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Smith was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs.
In other pitching news, Camden Crump and Wesley Blanchard dominated on the mound. Crump pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit, while Blanchard pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Crump has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one walk in 12 consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Valwood got a massive performance out of Maddox Coile, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs. Coile has been hot for a while, having posted at least one stolen base the last 11 times he's played. Dywan Powell was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Pinewood Christian has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 16-8 record this season. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the defeats came by an average of only one runs. As for Valwood, their victory bumped their record up to 17-7.
Pinewood Christian couldn't quite get it done against Valwood when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 12-7. Can the Patriots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
