The Hampton Crabbers will take on the Gloucester Dukes at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
While Hampton's victory against Woodside wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Hampton came out on top in a nail-biter against Woodside on Thursday, sneaking past 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Crabbers have posted since April 22, 2024.
Jayden Valentine made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Valentine was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one RBI.
In other batting news, Eli Chaltraw was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Jaycob Flores was another key player, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Gloucester put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Kecoughtan a 12-0 shutout. Fans of the Dukes have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Like Hampton, Gloucester also got a great game from a two-way player: Landon Morris. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Morris was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
In other pitching news, Brayden Scott looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched.
Back at the plate, Hank Hardaway was a standout: he went a perfect 4-for-4 with seven RBI and one double. Another player making a difference was Hayden Simmons, who scored four runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Gloucester's victory was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.8 runs over those games. Hampton has started the season off flawlessly and has a 2-0 record to show for it.
Hampton couldn't quite finish off Gloucester in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 and fell 4-2. Can Hampton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
