Liberty hasn't had much luck against Shady Spring recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Raiders will welcome the Tigers at 5:30 p.m. Liberty's pitching crew has only allowed 3.9 runs per game this season, so Shady Spring's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Liberty fell victim to James Monroe and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Mavericks. Having soared to a lofty 15 runs in the game before, the Raiders' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
Meanwhile, Shady Spring waltzed into their match on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. Everything went their way against Princeton as they made off with a 12-2 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win Shady Spring has posted against Princeton since March 23, 2023.
Sam Barnett spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned runs on five hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Aiden Calvert, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. He has become a key player for Shady Spring: the team is 6-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 7-8-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Aiden Brown, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Shady Spring kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive games.
Shady Spring pushed their record up to 13-10-1 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Liberty, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-6.
Liberty couldn't quite get it done against Shady Spring in their previous matchup back in March as they fell 5-2. Will the Raiders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
