Hopewell lost against Varina back in March of 2023, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Wednesday. The Hopewell Blue Devils took a 10-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Varina Blue Devils. Hopewell has struggled against Varina recently, as their game on Wednesday was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
For Varina's part, Hailey Butler was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out 17 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and four unearned) runs off four hits (and not a single walk). Butler has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than 12 strikeouts every time she's pitched this season. Butler was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while going 3-for-5.
In other batting news, Hailey Martin was a standout: she scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. Elaina Montalvo was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Hopewell's loss dropped their record down to 3-9-2. As for Varina, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Hopewell will square off against Dinwiddie at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Dinwiddie's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Hopewell's hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Varina, they will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against Henrico at 6:00 p.m. Varina is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.2 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
