Nansemond River hasn't had much luck against Western Branch recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Warriors will look to defend their home field against the Bruins at 5:45 p.m.
On Thursday, Nansemond River didn't have quite enough to beat Grassfield and fell 3-2.
| 04/30/26 vs Grassfield | 1 |
| 04/23/26 @ Hickory | 2 |
| 04/02/26 vs Deep Creek | 0 |
| 03/19/26 @ Western Branch | 1 |
Joshua Harris spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Peyton Hartsfield was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. That home run marked the first that he has launched this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Western Branch). They never let Oscar Smith get on the board and left with a 25-0 victory on Thursday. Considering the Bruins have won eight matchups by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ryan Waddell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Waddell was also big at the plate, going 1-for-5 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Western Branch got a massive performance out of Frankie Juguilon, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Juguilon has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Walter, who went 4-for-5 with four runs, three RBI, and one double.
Western Branch always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .636. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Oscar Smith only posted an OBP of .118.
Western Branch is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That somehow still isn't as good as their 13-4 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.3 runs over those games. As for Nansemond River, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Nansemond River has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Western Branch struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Nansemond River couldn't quite finish off Western Branch in their previous meeting back in March and fell 6-4. Will the Warriors 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.
