vs
| 04/19/24 - Away | 7-4 W |
| 04/08/24 - Home | 1-21 L |
| 05/01/23 - Home | 5-3 W |
| 03/24/22 - Away | 8-5 W |
| 03/28/19 - Away | 4-11 L |
| + 3 more games |
Hampton and Happy Valley are an even 4-4 against one another since March of 2018, but likely not for long. The Hampton Bulldogs will be playing at home against the Happy Valley Warriors at 5:30 a.m. on Monday. Hampton has given up an average of 13.4 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
For whatever reason, it's the away team that's had the advantage when Hampton and Mitchell meet (three straight games heading into this one) and that held true again on Thursday. Hampton lost 15-2 to Mitchell. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Bulldogs couldn't push the score so high this time.
Hampton saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elisha Henson, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one double and one RBI. Jayden Kuhn was another, scoring a run while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Happy Valley). They blew past Cloudland 17-7 on Friday. The win continues a trend for the Warriors in their matchups with the Highlanders: they've now won nine in a row.
Ty Johnson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (five). He was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing Two bases. Those stolen bases marked the first that he snagged this season.
In other batting news, Lane Parker was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, three doubles, and two runs. Those three doubles gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Grady Goulds, who scored two runs and stole Four bases. while going 2-for-3.
Happy Valley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .595. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Happy Valley picked up their first home victory, bumping their record up to 2-3-1. As for Hampton, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Hampton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .480. However, it's not like Happy Valley struggles in that department as they've averaged .437. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Hampton beat Happy Valley 7-4 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Does Hampton have another victory up their sleeve, or will Happy Valley turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
