vs
| 03/27/25 - Home | 5-4 W |
| 05/17/24 - Home | 4-1 W |
| 03/26/24 - Away | 12-0 W |
| 05/02/23 - Home | 15-4 W |
| 03/30/23 - Away | 7-8 L |
| + 5 more games |
Hickory has gone 9-1 against Indian River recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Hawks will head out to square off against the Braves at 5:45 p.m. Hickory will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
On Friday, Hickory made easy work of Nansemond River and carried off a 10-3 victory. The result was nothing new for the Hawks, who have now won nine matchups by six runs or more so far this season.
Tommy Blackburn looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits.
At the plate, Hickory let Brayden Bachman and Matthew Kemick run wild. Bachman got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three runs and one double, while Kemick got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Nickel Ryan, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one double and one RBI.
Meanwhile, it may have taken ten innings to finish the job, but Indian River ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They came out on top against King's Fork by a score of 8-5. The Braves haven't had any issues with the Bulldogs recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Logan Riley and Riley Ming made a splash no matter where they played. Throwing, Riley didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Ming pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. What's more, Riley posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April. At the plate, Riley went 4-for-5 with two runs, while Ming got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. Indian River is undefeated when Riley posts two or more runs, but 4-13 otherwise.
In other pitching news, Evan Sheppard looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in 12 consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Jaydon Crawford was excellent, going 2-for-6 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. That double was his first of the season.
Indian River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Hickory's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-5. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.6 runs over those games. As for Indian River, their record now sits at 7-13.
Indian River's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Hickory hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .333. It's a different story for Indian River, though, as they've only averaged .237. Will they be able to contain Hickory's hitters?
Hickory came out on top in a nail-biter against Indian River in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
