The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Saints will face off against the Cape Henry Collegiate Dolphins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 3.8, Cape Henry Collegiate 2.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 12 runs on Thursday, they were much more limited against Walsingham Academy on Tuesday. They fell just short of the Trojans by a score of 4-2. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since March 21, 2023, but that streak is no more.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Noah Brooks, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base. Tucker Copeland also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Meanwhile, Cape Henry Collegiate entered their tilt with Catholic on Tuesday with three consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with four. They were the clear victors by a 12-2 margin over the Crusaders.
Jackson Jones looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. What's more, he posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in May of 2024.
At the plate, Colin Lebel was a standout: he scored two runs while going 4-for-5. Those four hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Chris Martinez, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Cape Henry Collegiate's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-7. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 9-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Nansemond-Suffolk Academy has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Cape Henry Collegiate struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Nansemond-Suffolk Academy came up short against Cape Henry Collegiate in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, falling 8-4. Will the Saints have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
