Varina is 0-10 against Atlee since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Varina Blue Devils will head out on the road to take on the Atlee Raiders at 6:00 p.m. Varina is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.5 runs per game this season.
On Friday, it was a hard-fought game, but Varina had to settle for a 7-6 defeat against Highland Springs. Varina has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Hailey Butler was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She struck out 12 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits (and not a single walk). Butler has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts every time she's pitched this season. Butler was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-5.
In other batting news, Willow Nash made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-3. Elaina Montalvo was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Even though they lost, Varina was hitting in the alleys and finished the game with three doubles. That's the most doubles they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Atlee beat Mechanicsville 5-1 on Friday.
Like Varina, Atlee also got a great game from a two-way player: Sierra Kegley. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out ten over seven innings pitched. Kegley was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Kegley wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Bailey Bucholz, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Another player making a difference was Camdyn Metts, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Varina now has a losing record at 7-8. As for Atlee, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-5 record this season.
Varina might still be hurting after the 16-1 loss they got from Atlee in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Can Varina avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
