For the second straight game, Silver Valley will face off against Academy for Academic Excellence. The Trojans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Knights at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Silver Valley has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with four straight losses, while Academy for Academic Excellence will come in with seven straight victories.
Silver Valley fell victim to Academy for Academic Excellence and their airtight pitching crew on Tuesday. They came up short against the Knights, falling 9-0.
For Academy for Academic Excellence's part, Kameron Walker made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 13 over seven innings pitched. Those 13 strikeouts gave Walker a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. He has become a key player for Academy for Academic Excellence: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 6-9 otherwise.
In other batting news, Nathan Rudd was incredible, going 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Noah Knecht was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Academy for Academic Excellence kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.4.
Academy for Academic Excellence pushed their record up to 11-9 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Silver Valley, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-9.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Silver Valley has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Academy for Academic Excellence struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 5.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
