Nottoway hasn't had much luck against Buckingham recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Cougars will welcome the Knights at 5:30 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
Nottoway barely beat Cumberland the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Cougars blew past the Dukes 12-5 on Thursday. The Cougars' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Trent Hayes made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he pitched four innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Hayes was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing three bases while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bradley Hamilton, who scored two runs and stole four bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Hayden Pridgen, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Nottoway was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .433. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Buckingham put another one in the bag on Monday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on Randolph-Henry with a sharp 14-4 win.
Like Nottoway, Buckingham also got a great game from a two-way player: Avery Schaeffer. He struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and not a single walk). Schaeffer was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances.
In other batting news, Ethan Walter was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April of 2024. Trey Jones was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
Buckingham's victory bumped their record up to 3-0. As for Nottoway, their win (their first of the season) made their record 1-6.
Nottoway suffered a grim 16-3 defeat to Buckingham in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
