The Nansemond River Warriors will square off against the Oscar Smith Tigers at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Nansemond River gave up the first runs on Friday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top against Greenbrier Christian Academy by a score of 11-7. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Warriors' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Buddy Baker and Konner Johnson did most of the damage at the plate: Baker got on base in all five of his plate appearances with three runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Johnson went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those two doubles gave Johnson a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Avery Fields, who went 1-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Oscar Smith). They never let Deep Creek get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Thursday. The Tigers not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 25, 2024 (when they won 17-1).
Braden Copeland and Dominick Zak made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Copeland tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Zak struck out eight batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Copeland also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Oscar Smith is 3-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 3-5 otherwise. At the plate, Copeland went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double, while Zak got on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run and one RBI. That run marked the first that Zak has scored this season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sean Brown, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. Olvaun Collins was another, earning three runs and one stolen base.
Oscar Smith's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-6. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Nansemond River, their win bumped their record up to 4-7.
Nansemond River couldn't quite finish off Oscar Smith when the teams last played back in April of 2024 and fell 2-0. Will the Warriors have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
