The Salem Greyhounds are taking a road trip to square off against the Valley Springs Tigers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
On Thursday, Salem came up short against Flippin and fell 6-2. The defeat continues a trend for the Greyhounds in their meetings with the Bobcats: they've now lost three in a row.
Blake Ingram made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Valley Springs never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Bergman on Thursday. They were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over the Panthers. Considering the Tigers have won eight contests by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Brody Bernard was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Bernard was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three runs and one double. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Camden Fredlund was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Oliver Chitsey, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
Salem's loss dropped their record down to 11-14. As for Valley Springs, they moved to 13-9 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Salem has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .442. However, it's not like Valley Springs struggles in that department as they've averaged .486. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Salem beat Valley Springs 9-5 when the teams last played last Tuesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Greyhounds since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
