The Cave Spring Knights are taking a road trip to square off against the Blacksburg Bruins at 5:00 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.
If Cave Spring beats Blacksburg with 11 runs on Tuesday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Knights beat Christiansburg on Friday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-1. Considering the Knights have won seven matches by more than six runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Caitlyn Karnes made a splash while hitting and pitching. She tossed five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Karnes was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Abigail Bradberry was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Rachel Hartman, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two doubles, one run, and one RBI.
Cave Spring kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in nine consecutive games.
Blacksburg came out on top against Radford on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive 11-run second inning. The Bruins never let the Bobcats get on the board and left with a 15-0 win.
Like Cave Spring, Blacksburg also got a great game from a two-way player: Madelyn Williams. She looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. What's more, Williams posted two strikeouts, the most she's had since back in April. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Sydney Deane and Clara McMahon did most of the damage at the plate: Deane got on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double, while McMahon went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most RBI McMahon has posted since back in April. Keely Semtner also deserves some recognition as she hit her first double of the season.
Cave Spring has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.7 runs over those games. As for Blacksburg, their record now sits at 8-11.
Cave Spring took their win against Blacksburg in their previous meeting back in April by a conclusive 11-1 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
