The Buckingham Knights will face off against the Cumberland Dukes at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Buckingham has seven straight victories, Cumberland has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Buckingham came out on top against Prince Edward County on Tuesday thanks in part to the team's impressive six-run third inning. The Knights put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-2 win. The Knights might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Andrew Dorrier made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 13 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Blake Shumaker was excellent, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with two RBI and one run. Another player making a difference was Ty Wilkerson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Buckingham kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 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.
Cumberland couldn't beat Surry County on Wednesday even though they stacked five runs on them in the sixth inning. The Dukes lost 19-9 to the Cougars.
Justin Flowers was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Ayden Brodie was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Buckingham pushed their record up to 7-0 with the victory, which was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.0 runs over those games. As for Cumberland, their loss dropped their record down to 1-8.
Cumberland's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Buckingham hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .364. It's a different story for Cumberland, though, as they've only averaged .226. Will they be able to contain Buckingham's hitters?
Buckingham skirted past Cumberland 2-0 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Knights have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Dukes turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
