J.R. Tucker and Hermitage are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2019, but likely not for long. The Tigers will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Panthers at 6:00 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, J.R. Tucker turned things around against Varina on Wednesday. They walked away with a 6-3 win over the Blue Devils.
Caleb Wood
| 04/30/25 @ Varina | 2 |
| 04/14/25 @ Hopewell | 1 |
| 05/17/24 vs Hermitage | 1 |
| 04/12/24 @ Maggie Walker | 1 |
| 03/15/24 @ Deep Run | 1 |
Caleb Wood was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two runs and two doubles. Those two doubles gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Walker Perkins, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Hermitage). They were the clear victors by a 15-1 margin over Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday. The Panthers haven't had any issues with the Vikings recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive victory against them.
Hermitage let Dro Posada and Conner Wharton run wild. Posada went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one double, while Wharton went 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. That double marked the first that Posada has hit this season. Brody Davis was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Hermitage's win bumped their record up to 4-9. As for J.R. Tucker, their victory bumped their record up to 2-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. J.R. Tucker has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Hermitage struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
J.R. Tucker couldn't quite get it done against Hermitage when the teams last played back in May of 2024 as they fell 6-1. Can the Tigers 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
