Buckingham is 9-1 against Nottoway since March of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Knights will be playing at home against the Cougars at 5:00 p.m. Buckingham is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Buckingham came out on top against Randolph-Henry on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive five-run third inning. The Knights were the clear victors by a 9-1 margin over the Statesmen. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by seven runs or more this season.
Avery Schaeffer made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). He has been consistent: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Ethan Walter
| 05/06/25 @ Randolph-Henry | 2 |
| 05/05/25 vs Amherst County | 1 |
| 04/15/25 @ Nottoway | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Randolph-Henry | 1 |
| 05/16/24 @ Amelia County | 1 |
In other batting news, Ethan Walter and Trey Jones did most of the damage at the plate: Walter went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI, while Jones went 1-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double. Those two doubles gave Walter a new career-high. Dawson Edwards was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Buckingham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Nottoway). They put the hurt on Cumberland with a sharp 14-5 win on Tuesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Cougars considering their one-run performance the matchup before.
Like Buckingham, Nottoway also got a great game from a two-way player: Trent Hayes. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 12 over 5.1 innings pitched. Hayes also allowed no hits, which is notable because Nottoway is 2-1 when he allows at most one hit, but 2-9 otherwise. Hayes was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jahmarion Wright, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Bradley Hamilton, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Buckingham's victory was their 15th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Nottoway, their victory ended a 14-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 4-10.
Nottoway's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Buckingham has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .502. It's a different story for Nottoway, though, as they've only averaged .358. Will they be able to contain Buckingham's hitters?
Buckingham took their win against Nottoway when the teams last played back in April by a conclusive 22-3 score. Will the Knights repeat their success, or do the Cougars have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
