The Norview Pilots will head out to face off against the Ocean Lakes Dolphins at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Norview is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak.
Norview came into this matchup off a tough 20-run defeat on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Arcadia by a score of 5-3 on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Pilots have suffered since May 25, 2024.
Norview saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jamil Moreta, who went 1-for-3 with one home run.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Ocean Lakes made sure to put some runs up on the board against Kempsville on Tuesday. The Dolphins never let the Chiefs get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory. Considering the Dolphins have won 11 contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Daniel Hamilton tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Tre Hamilton, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Brady Nagle, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and two runs.
Ocean Lakes lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Ocean Lakes has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 14-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.9 runs on average over those games. As for Norview, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Norview has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ocean Lakes struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Norview might still be hurting after the 10-0 defeat they got from Ocean Lakes when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Pilots avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
