The Gloucester Dukes will take on the Hampton Crabbers at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Gloucester will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.
Gloucester is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Smithfield, sneaking past 4-3.
Gloucester got a great performance from Brayden Scott as he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Hank Hardaway, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Hampton earned a 7-4 win over Jamestown on Monday. That's two games straight that the Crabbers have won by exactly three runs.
Toby Weymouth spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits and racked up six Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Xavier Nixon was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April.
The victory made it two in a row for Hampton and bumps their season record up to 20-1. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 5 runs in those games. As for Gloucester, their record now sits at 20-4.
Friday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Gloucester has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .441. However, it's not like Hampton struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Gloucester came up short against Hampton when the teams last played back in March, falling 9-4. Can the Dukes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
