The Hoggard Vikings will head out on the road to square off against the Purnell Swett Rams at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Hoggard is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7.9 runs per game this season.
After a string of nine wins, Hoggard's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They fell 8-5 to Laney.
Josiah Gillespie made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Damian Bounds, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with a double.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 19 runs the game before, Purnell Swett were a bit more limited in their game on Wednesday. They fell just short of Richmond by a score of 3-2. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Purnell Swett in their matchups with Richmond: they've now lost three in a row.
Purnell Swett saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jacob Chavis, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-2. Chavis has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Having lost for the first time this season, Hoggard fell to 9-1. As for Purnell Swett, their record now sits at 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Hoggard has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Purnell Swett struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.7 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Hoggard skirted past Purnell Swett 5-4 in their previous meeting back in March of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hoggard since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
