The Blue Ridge Jays will head out on the road to challenge the Fairfax HomeSchool Hawks at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Blue Ridge barely beat Front Royal HomeSchool the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Jays' pitcher stepped up to hand the Flames a 13-0 shutout on Friday. Considering the Jays have won four matches by more than nine runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Lochlan 'Bear' Paul
| 03/06/25 vs Blue Ridge | 2 |
| 04/08/25 vs Regents | 1 |
| 03/10/25 vs Front Royal HomeSchool | 1 |
Lochlan 'Bear' Paul was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. He also allowed no hits, which is notable because Blue Ridge is 3-1 when he allows at most two hits, but 3-4 otherwise. Paul was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-4. He has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last three times he's played.
In other batting news, Dominic Paul was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. He has become a key player for Blue Ridge: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-5 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Alex Showalter, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Fairfax HomeSchool had to endure a seven-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 6-2 win over Riverdale Baptist on Thursday.
Cenzo Gonder looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit.
At the plate, Fairfax HomeSchool saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Caleb Alberts, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Another was Silas Yoho, who scored a run while going 1-for-5.
Blue Ridge is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.6 runs over those games. As for Fairfax HomeSchool, their record now sits at 7-8.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Blue Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .385. However, it's not like Fairfax HomeSchool struggles in that department as they've averaged .345. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Blue Ridge might still be hurting after the 11-2 defeat they got from Fairfax HomeSchool in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Jays avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
