The Mountain View Prep Stars will venture away from home to take on the Walhalla Razorbacks at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Mountain View Prep's pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so Walhalla's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Mountain View Prep saw some tournament action on Saturday. They fell just short of Saluda by a score of 5-4. The loss was the Stars' first of the season.
Mountain View Prep got a good showing from Hayden Long, who tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits.
At the plate, Mountain View Prep saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Davian Hurst, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Walhalla owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Thursday. They blew past Pickens 9-0. With that victory, the Razorbacks brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
COLLIN PHILLIPS was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 15 over seven innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on DALTON DIAL, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was JACKSON SMITH, who went 2-for-3 with two runs.
Walhalla has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. Having lost for the first time this season, Mountain View Prep fell to 8-1.
Mountain View Prep's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. The Stars have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Walhalla, though, as they've been averaging only 1.1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Mountain View Prep continue to outrun the ball?
Mountain View Prep was able to grind out a solid victory over Walhalla when the teams last played back in March, winning 10-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Stars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
