After seven games on the road, Laurel Hill is heading back home. They will take on the Poplar Springs Atomics at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Laurel Hill is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 7 runs per game this season.
Laurel Hill fell victim to Aletheia Christian Academy and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They fell just short of the Lions by a score of 2-0. The game marked that first time this season in which Laurel Hill was not able to get on the board.
Caden Taylor was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits.
On the hitting side, Laurel Hill saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Omerion Hill, who went 1-for-2 with three stolen bases. Hill is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last three games he's played.
Meanwhile, in what's become a running theme this season, Poplar Springs gave their fans yet another huge victory on Thursday. They were the clear victor by an 18-3 margin over Bethlehem. The win was nothing new for Poplar Springs as they're now sitting on three straight.
Declyn Griffin made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Griffin was even better at the plate, scoring four runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in five of his six plate appearances.
In other batting news, Carson Taylor was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Hudson Mattox, who scored two runs while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances.
Laurel Hill has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-8 record this season. As for Poplar Springs, they pushed their record up to 7-4 with that victory, which was their third straight on the road.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Laurel Hill has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Poplar Springs struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.9. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Laurel Hill suffered a grim 11-1 defeat to Poplar Springs in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Thankfully for Laurel Hill, Drew Greenwood (who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
